| Times have got to change. Too much is at stake for us to continue to march down our current path. Big banks had too much power and our economy collapsed. This scenario is no different. Corporate polluters have too much power and our environment is on the verge of collapsing.
Now is the time for people to re-engage. The stakes are too high to sit on the sidelines. In just the next year, we face the challenge of taking an enormous step backward and the opportunity to take an enormous step forward.
In Virginia, the General Assembly is being asked to lift a near 30-year ban on the mining and milling of uranium. The industry says it's focused on a site in Pittsylvania County, but we know there are uranium deposits all over Virginia. The industry has spent over $350,000 in three years building their case, but we have a chance to win. Every time you encounter an elected official tell him or her you support the ban on uranium mining. Tell them you know uranium mining has never occurred east of the Mississippi and our wet climate makes mining and milling especially dangerous.
Later this year, Virginia's largest utility Dominion Virignia Power is going to submit an Integrated Resource Plan to the State Corporation Commission. This document is a 15-years forecast of how Dominion will meet the energy needs of its customers. The IRP is an opportunity for Dominion to say to Virginia "we're serious about investing in clean, renewable energy." Take a moment and visit va4wind.com and send Dominion CEO Tom Farrell a message that you want offshore wind in Virginia in the next five years.
Next winter is the Governor's opportunity to define his administration. It's long been said that the third year is a Governor's best opportunity to push forward an agenda. He needs to use this opportunity to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency. Specifically, Governor McDonnell should set goals and advance policies that will weatherize 10,000 homes in Virginia, build an offshore wind farm in five years, and scale up solar power to at least 20 MW over the next five years. He'll hold town halls to advance some extraneous policy, and he'll campaign for Republicans this fall, stand up and tell him clean energy is smart energy.
Finally, our ultimate opportunity to turn the ship around on Virginia's environmental future will occur on Tuesday, November 8th. That's when we have our opportunity to have our voices heard at the ballot box. Far too often, the environment is overlooked as an electoral issue, but we have to speak-up. When you knock on a door for a candidate tell them you care about the environment. When you write a check to a candidate (or the VA Sierra Club PAC) write environmentalist in the memo line. Make our voices heard and let them know we're paying attention.
The last year's been a rough one on our side of the fence. We've seen attacks from McDonnell, Cantor, Cuccinelli, Goodlatte and crew, but next year can be as good as this one has been bad.
So, as you make your eco-conscience decisions on this Earth Day think about the political as much as you do about the recyclable. This year, we need the green team to have people of all sorts. It starts with getting involved, and ends with a healthier planet and more secure future. |
