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We are a group of environmental advocates united in providing a one-stop source for Virginia's environmental news. We each focus on different issues, but share the vision of a Commonwealth that preserves and protects its natural resources. Please join us!
Over one hundred Virginia Clergy have united to send a message to Senators Webb and Warner that climate change is moral issue and their action is required. Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light's release on the letter's delivery:
RICHMOND, Va. -- As the US Senate prepares to take up climate and energy legislation, over 100 religious
leaders from across Virginia delivered letters to Senators Webb and Warner today, making a moral case for comprehensive
climate legislation that includes strong emission reductions, international adaptation assistance, and protections for low-income families.
The letters were delivered in person to senate staff during meetings in Richmond today by a representative group of signers. Numerous others are calling the Senators' DC offices to deliver their message. Transcending the intense lobbying from special interest groups, the faith community is calling on lawmakers to honor the values of caring both for our neighbors and for God's creation.
"As religious leaders from across the Commonwealth, we are writing to express our alarm at the state of environmental stewardship here in Virginia, and nationwide," the letter states. "For us as people of faith, this is an issue of basic fairness and justice; not only because we are called to care for Creation, but because of who will be harmed most by inaction: the poor and voiceless."
The clergy who joined this effort reflect tremendous religious and geographical diversity. They are speaking out from five religious traditions - Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Unitarian Universalism and seven denominations of Christianity -- and hail from all corners of the Commonwealth.
"Our senators might get the impression from recent headlines that the basic science of climate change remains controversial in our state," says Joseph R. Stanley III, the director of the Virginia Interfaith Center's Interfaith Power & Light program. "But the fact that more than 100 local leaders of sacred communities are acting together speaks volumes. For them, the facts are in. They see what's happening to our world. Climate change is real, and they feel called as people of faith to respond."
"When you ask the pastors, rabbis, and imams who joined this letter why they signed on, not one of them mentions politics. It's much bigger than politics," says Joelle Novey, the director of Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light, which works with congregations across Northern Virginia. "We are calling on Senators Webb and Warner to pass comprehensive climate legislation out of a sense of moral responsibility to care for our neighbors and for Creation. And we are asking that any legislation do right by the poor around the world, and close to home."
"I believe that we have a responsibility to care for, and not destroy, the miraculous world God created," says Rabbi Jeffrey Saxe in Falls Church.
"This world is God's creation, beloved and whole, and we are charged with its care," says Rev. Mollie Douglas Turner, an Episcopal priest in Williamsburg.
"As a faith leader, the scriptures instruct us that human beings have been placed on Earth to be the trustees and guardians of this planet and its people," says Imam Johari Abdul-Malik of Falls Church. We believe that in order for us to have a sustainable planet ... personal stewardship and community efforts are not enough. Systemic change regarding climate requires legislation in order to guide our corporate societal behavior."
"I signed onto this letter because all of creation praises God: the birds of the air, the beasts of the field, the animals of the forest, the wind, the rain, even the trees," says Rev. Diane Walton Hendricks, a Presbyterian minister in Falls Church. As stewards of creation we must enable the voices of all creation to continue to be raised in their own unique songs of praise. We dare not allow our actions to silence the song."
"The Creation, all of it, not just our own little part, is meant to be lived in full community," says Rev. Mochel Morris, a Methodist minister in Falls Church. "We who are stewards must care for all of it, especially for the 'least of these' who have little or no voice -- people, creatures, plants -- all of it."
"Each of us bears a personal moral responsibility and imperative to be a positive contributor to sustaining life," says Rev. Kate Walker in Fairfax County. "My ordination compels me as a minister; I take on the responsibility to lead."
The letter effort was convened jointly by the Virginia and Greater Washington Interfaith Power & Light programs, and was circulated initially by five clergy: Imam Johari Abdul-Malik (Muslim, Falls Church), Rev. Dr. Morris Hudgins (Unitarian Universalist, Charlottesville), Bishop Charlene Kammerer (United Methodist, Richmond), Rev. Dr. Janet Parker, (United Church of Christ, Arlington), and Rabbi Jeffrey Saxe (Jewish, Falls Church). The letter is signed by Rt. Rev. Holly Hollerith, the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia, and Rev. Dr. G. Wilson Gunn, Jr., General Presbyter of the National Capital Presbytery (which includes Northern Virginia).
Two bills in particular were the subject of a stakeholders' meeting held today by the new Virginia Offshore Wind (VOW) Coalition. Sen. Donald McEachin and Delegate Bill Janis with their respective SB577 and HB389 are proposing creation of a Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority "to facilitate and support the development of wind-powered electric energy facilities located off the coast of the Commonwealth beyond the Commonwealth's three-mile jurisdictional limit".
The Commission is charged with, among other tasks, (i) collecting metocean data, (ii) identifying existing state and regulatory or administrative barriers to the development of the offshore wind industry, (iii) upgrading port facilities to accommodate the manufacturing and assembly of offshore wind energy project components and vessels that will support the construction and operations of offshore wind energy projects, (iv) securing federal loan guarantees, and (v) developing, constructing, and operating interconnection facilities on the Virginia shoreline to connect offshore wind energy projects to the electric grid.
Both bills have been sent to their respective body's Commerce and Labor committee. SB577 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Commerce and Labor committee on 01/25/2010. It meets on Monday, 2:00 P.M. - Senate Room B. No assignment yet for HB389.
Virginia's environmental community had a fantastic "Conservation Lobby Day" on Mon., Jan. 18th. But now it's time to roll up our sleeves and get to work! So here's your legislative update for Thurs., Jan. 21st...
One of our marquee bills this session is the "Stream Saver" bill, SB564. (Click here for more info and to watch a video on this important bill.) The good news here is that the bill, introduced by Sen. Patsy Ticer, has picked up additional 5 more co-patrons, including Senators Whipple, Howell, Northam and Marsden. If you have a minute please call today at (800) 889-0229 and ask your Senator to co-patron this important bill!
However there is bad news with submission of SB 128 from Sen. Ryan McDougle. This bill would limit the Air Pollution Control Board's ability to address impacts on non-attainment areas (such as now the Hampton Roads area), in power plant permitting (such as ODEC's Surry coal plant in Hampton Roads).
SB564 is scheduled for a hearing on Feb. 11 at 4:00pm before the Senate Ag committee. (This is a correction to what was earlier posted here.)
Senators on this committee include Patsy Ticer, Harry Blevins, Creigh Deeds, Emmett Hanger, Mamie Locke, Ryan McDougle, Don McEachin, Ralph Northam, Mark Obenshain, Phil Puckett, Roscoe Reynolds, Frank Ruff, Richard Stuart, John Watkins, and Mary Margaret Whipple. Especially if these Senators represent you, please be sure to contact them and urge their opposition to SB128. (Click here for contact info for these members.)
Cross-posted from the CCAN Blog Coal is in the blood of the people of Wise County, Virginia. With a population of around 41,000, the coal industry has provided steady income for an otherwise remote part of Appalachia. Situated in the southwest corner of the Commonwealth, the county boasts several small, tight-knit communities, a functional public school system, two colleges, and a thriving sense of mountainous spirit that hallmarks Appalachian living.
It is not far fetched to argue that the socioeconomic landscape of Wise County would be drastically different without the coal industry's presence there. The bituminous rock has served as the stovepipe economic model of Southwest Virginia, Kentucky, and West Virginia since the industrial revolution, and has brought intense development and employment to the region. Nowhere else on earth has coal played such a crucial role in the evolution of a region, and nowhere else do people's very blood ooze the stuff. It is a cultural icon.
But coal is destroying Southwest Virginia, the Appalachian Mountains, and threatening the planet itself. At the epicenter of this environmental catastrophe lies Wise, a county that is crumbling under the heavy hand of King Coal. While Dominion works to construct a brand-new power plant in the region, fueled by dirty, antiquated coal, mining corporations have worked to systemically level the region through the practice of mountaintop removal mining.
The result is not a pretty one. Several mountains have already been leveled in Virginia, some of which are in Wise, while millions of tons of rock, dirt, and toxic material are shoved into neighboring valleys, preventing streams from flowing and contaminating valuable, fresh water. Sludge ponds, a result of the extremely water-intense washing process, contain billions of gallons of useless, dangerous slurry, filled with heavy metals such as nickel, cadmium, lead, and arsenic. The fragile walls that hold back these industrial cesspools are typically made of fill material, and are prone to failure (as they have several times in recent decades). Mountaintop removal represents a triple threat to Appalachia, as mountains are destroyed, streams are interred beneath tons of rock and filth, and toxic contamination threatens the health of every community in the region.
With U.S. Senator Mark Warner at his side both at a press event in Roanoke and later via conference call, Democratic candidate for governor Creigh Deeds yesterday announced "a comprehensive plan to create jobs and renew Virginia's economy through targeted tax cuts for small businesses, innovative partnerships to generate new jobs in the alternative energy industry, creative initiatives to jump-start an economic recovery in rural regions, as well as a commonsense approach to finally solve Virginia's statewide transportation challenges through responsible, bipartisan leadership".
"Virginia led the nation in telecom in the 1980s, we helped lead the Internet revolution during the 1990s, and I firmly believe that the next generation of jobs and wealth will be found in the 'green' economy," Senator Warner said. "Creigh has put together a road map that allows Virginia to grasp that opportunity and take advantage of all of those possibilities if we prepare Virginians to take a leadership role in the alternative energy field."
"Virginia must take advantage of opportunities in rapidly expanding fields like biomass production,
wind power generation, and clean coal research", he writes in his plan. "By developing innovative ways of reducing fossil fuel consumption, Creigh will create thousands of new jobs in the Commonwealth and attract millions in new investment from private and public sources".
Standing out within his economic plan is a call for creation of a strong business environment for green energy companys.
"Green energy companies are attracted to states that have made a firm commitment to alternative energy. Creigh believes that we cannot afford to lose opportunities to create good-paying jobs in this high-growth industry, simply because our policies lag behind."
To this end, Deeds proposes expansion of the Solar Manufacturing Incentive Grant (SMIG ) program to all "green energy-related industries". He wants to offer competitive grants to green energy companies that invest at least $50 million
and create at least 200 jobs.
Believing that Virginia's current voluntary RPS is "simply not enough to keep Virginia competitive with states like Ohio, which passed a law requiring that utilities produce 25% of their energy from renewable source by 2025, and neighbors like Maryland, which has a 20% by 2022 mandatory requirement", Deeds proposes a mandatory RPS of 15% by 2020 and 22% by 2025.
The Renewable Electricity Standard as it stands right now within the Waxman-Markey (aka ACES) bill that just passed Congress calls for a 20% standard by 2020. This RES target is a national floor. States are allowed to set higher standards. Virginia's current standards are voluntary and call for 12% by 2022. The Governor's Commission on Climate Change recommended increasing that voluntary call to 15% by 2025.
Click here to read Deeds' entire economic plan. Click here to read how Virginia can easily meet a Federal RES of 25% by 2025.
Dendron, Virginia, has more than its share of challenges. The community of around 300, located in the southern corner of Surry County, struggles with an outdated municipal water system, crumbling sidewalks and no major businesses within the town.
Prior to the Great Depression, Dendron had been a company town of more than 3,000, fueled by the lumber industry's presence there. Private business thrived in a town that revolved around the processing and export of timber across the country. Despite its character as an industrial one-trick-pony, the town of Dendron had something to stand for, and an industry to be proud of.
Today's Dendron little resembles that historic vision of the 1900's boomtown. Largely forgotten by the industry that once supported a thriving community, and facing serious municipal and community problems, such as an unexpected $10,000 water bill, you'd think the small town would take anything at this point to give it an economic boost.
The Old Dominion Electric Cooperative assumed this to be true when executives within the cooperative approached Dendronites with a plan for a new 1,500-megawatt coal-fired power plant, the second largest of its kind in Virginia. ODEC presented the Cypress Creek project with the promise of new jobs, tax revenue, and the idea that one major industry would bring others to the cash-strapped community. Despite local environmental effects and immediate hazards to human health, ODEC worked to assure Dendron residents that they stood to benefit from such a plant's construction. ODEC also assumed that they'd buy into it without any major hiccups.
Dominion power aims to revolutionize the way it distributes electricity, beginning in Charlottesville, VA. On Tuesday morning, members of Albemarle County board of supervisors, the Charlottesville city council, Governor Tim Kaine and Dominion CEO, Tom Farrell, met along the city's pedestrian mall to announce Dominion's new Smart Grid initiative. John Casteen, president of the University of Virginia, was also in attendance. With implementation expected to be completed in the next few months, Charlottesville and the surrounding area will be among the first in Virginia to use the technology on a large scale.
Smart Grid meters allow data to be sent in real time from residential and commercial locations to Dominion, allowing very fast monitoring of energy usage, peak hours, and overall efficiency. The system will assist in better calculating better levels of base-load power, in addition to allowing customers to monitor their personal usage and make changes based on on-and-off peak rates.
Dominion is strumming a fresh chord with this initiative. Formerly a company who treated the "e" word as if it were lethal, the Smart Grid will hopefully aid Dominion in coming to the realization that money can, and will be, made through more efficient distribution promoting conservation among its customers. In the past, utilities have generated profits through increased demand and production. Massive economies of scale wherein cost is reduced through sheer numbers helped to keep giants like Dominion afloat without the need for increases in efficiency standards. While the world rests in economic purgatory, businesses are forced to remodel the way things get done. We've all heard, "small is beautiful." Well, efficiency is marked by small gains aimed at strategic cost-cutting that serve to save energy producers billions in lost energy due to outdated technology. "Everyone benefits from efficiency," says Farrell. For the first time in a long time, Dominion may be correcting course from a prolonged history of avoiding improvements in their distribution network and dumping the costs on consumers.
On Monday, the town council of Elkton, Virignia submitted a request to Governor Kaine asking him to seek out state and federal funding for a proposed "clean" coal research facility outside the Shenandoah town. A short hop from Harrisonburg and James Madison University, the town hopes to harness the 100 or so jobs created by the project as a boost to the local economy.
Called, the Elkton Energy Research Center, the facility would focus on developing two different types of carbon capture and sequestration, both of which are not yet commercially viable. Spearheaded by county democrats, hopes are that federal cash devoted to CCS tech will find its way to the town of only 2,000 residents situated along the south fork of the Shenandoah River. The proposal would require massive amounts of start-up cash from state and federal governments, approaching the $100 million mark. Without the necessary funding, the center isn't likely to materialize.
This is a good thing. The pipedream that is carbon capture and sequestration has existed in small-scale mockups, but there are no facilities in operation at this time that sport the moniker "clean coal." One of these proposed plants, FutureGen Mattoon in Illinois, has yet to see a brick laid in its construction. A joint venture between the Department of Energy and an alliance of Coal and Energy companies, FutureGen hopes to become the first functional generating plant that fully sequesters all of its CO2 emissions. Teetering between marginal success and total disappearance, The plant is poised to become the first massive failure of the coal industry in promoting this phony technology.
(Thanks for covering this, Peebles! - promoted by Eileen)
At 2:00p.m. today, Governor Tim Kaine held a press conference in the Capitol complex's Patrick Henry Building. Kaine used the meeting to announce the newest initiative underneath his Renew Virginia campaign: executive order #82, "Greening of State Government." His announcement detailed a new (and mildly exciting) plan for encouraging gains in efficiency and conservation in state-owned buildings and by state employees. Applying primarily to state-level buildings, fleet vehicles and personnel, Kaine hopes that the initiative will show, "leadership that will inspire local governments," to do the same. Serving as an extension of previous Renew Virginia order #48, the initiative hopes to encourage improvements in energy usage, fuel consumption, and recycling through new regulations and incentives:
• Government offices and satellite offices will now be 100% paperless
• All new fleet vehicles will meet modern efficiency standards and will use B20 biodiesel when available.
• All state buildings will now be required establish and submit reports on an environmental management system that will audit each building's usage individually.
• All newly constructed state buildings will be required to meet LEED silver standards or the equivalent in Green Globes (2).
• Finally, the state will encourage more telecommuting and carpooling, reducing the amount of fossil fuels spent to and from the workplace. August 3, 2009, will be Virginia's "telecommute to work" day, during which employers will encourage their personnel to stay home or use a nearby telecommuting center in lieu of a drive downtown.
Overall, the Governor called for expanded work into reducing energy use by the state, increasing fuel efficiency and smart management of HVAC and other systems. Most interestingly, Kaine announced a competition, entitled "The Green Commonwealth Challenge," with the goal of promoting competition among state agencies to take the lead in efficiency gains and conservation. Kaine's office will devise criteria and a scoring system that will help to determine which office is "greenest." The Governor hopes that this competitive spirit will spill into the private sector, encouraging businesses to follow the state's lead in cleaning up their act. The competition will run from June 15 until November 15, so if you're a state employee, get ready!
I just got a livid email from a resident of Dendron, VA---the small town of 300 where the Surry Coal Plant is proposed. The ODEC plant would be nearly 3 times the size of the Wise plant...at 1500MW. Pollutants include 14.6 million tons of carbon dioxide per year and over 100 pounds of the neurotoxin mercury among others.
Residents of the town are fighting back...and ODEC is responding. Just because its a Cooperative however, doesn't mean they aren't willing to fight dirty. An article came out in the Smithfield Times, followed by a secret meeting sponsored by ODEC...both were filled with bold lies about the plant.
Here is one resident's response...lets support these people on the frontlines of this battle with dirty coal.
Dear friends and neighbors,
I just wanted to take a moment of your time to direct your attention to the outrageous statement that ODEC has recently told our community:
"The only thing that comes out of the top of the coal plant is water vapor."
- Jeb Hockman, ODEC spokesman, Smithfield Times, May 13, 2009
I have spoken directly with the VA DEQ gentleman who was also quoted in that article and he assured me that Mr. Hockman is 100% mistaken.
I am completely outraged if this is the sort of underhanded tactic that these people are going to use to try to influence people here.
I have already written a letter to the Smithfield Times, but I think it is imperative that we all know that this complete misrepresentation is out there now. Even with retractions and clarifications, many will have read this article and come away with a very distorted view of the realities that a coal plant brings. There's a reason why ODEC had to submit 25 pages of emissions information to the DEQ......and it had very little to do with water vapor!
On June 9th, Virginians will go to the polls to vote in the Democratic Primary for their nominees for Governor, Lt. Governor and Attorney General. Republicans will select their nominees at their convention the end of May.
Sierra Club invited all four of the candidates for Governor, the three Democrats: Creigh Deeds, Terry McAuliffe and Brian Moran, and the Republican: Bob McDonnell to submit answers to an environmental survey that we have posted to our website, virginia.sierraclub.org.
The next Governor could be charting our course to a clean energy future or defending the coal industry until sea level rise is swallowing Virginia Beach. The next governor could actually make a real difference in cleaning up the Chesapeake rather than merely using the Bay as a back drop for a photo up. The next Governor could insure that the embarrassing boondoggle otherwise known as the King William Reservoir is finally laid to rest by standing up to developers in Newport News and the Peninsula.
So it will be up to us who that next Governor will be. As we close in on the Republican and Democratic nomination decisions, take the time to go out and see the candidates and ask the tough questions. We hope the survey responses provided by the candidates will help guide you in making this important decision.
All across the country coal plants are being rejected. Yet somehow in Virginia we are building a new coal fired plant in Wise County and proposing a plant three times the size in the Hampton Roads area.
During the presidential campaign, both candidates invested a lot of time and energy to make phone calls in to key swing states to influence critical votes to win the election. This is a GREAT strategy to win.
In our campaign to stop this proposed plant, we have critical votes just like swing state votes. Right now, Virginians living in electric cooperatives served by Old Dominion Electric Coop have a unique voice in this fight. Tomorrow night we will start calling these folks to educate them on why this coal plant is a bad investment and get them to take action!
We will be meeting tomorrow at the St Charles Borromeo Parish in Arlington, near the Clarendon Metro stop for our first volunteer night to stop coal. The details are below, and I hope that you can join us.
What: Volunteer Night to Stop Coal!
Where: St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Parish
3304 Washington Blvd.
Arlington, Virginia 22201
When: Tuesday, April 13th 5:30-7:30pm
**We will have a couple of laptops on hand, but please if you have one, bring your own as well as your cell phone..**
Any questions please email: Lauren@chesapeakeclimate.org
Efficiency was a hot issue this past General Assembly session. The bills that passed were short of our goals, but in a midnight amendment, Governor Kaine added efficiency targets, which gives us tangible goals to work towards and sets precedent for passing a mandatory standard next session.
The General Assembly reconvenes today to vote on all the amendments put forth by the governor. Stay tuned here to get the up-to-the-tweet updates from Richmond.
People talking about the Virginia Efficiency bill on the CCAN's Blog I'm plugged in but not plugged in enough to figure out how to bring the twitter feed over here... sorry.
Last week, gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell wrote the other candidates for Governor asking them to join him in signing a letter to Interior Secretary Salazar. It was a letter that asked the new Interior Secretary to reject Governor Kaine's recent request that Virginia Lease Sale 220 be removed from the 2007-2012 program and included instead with the 2010-2015 program for offshore oil and gas lease sales. In essence, McDonnell's letter asserts that it is somehow a bad idea to proceed with gathering adequate information and ensure that we have the scientific data needed to make a reasoned decision about the aggressive Bush offshore drilling plans now still aimed at our coastline here in Virginia.
The coast of Virginia is now at a point in the offshore drilling program where a recent "Call for Information" (deadline was Jan. 13, 2009) has asked for "particular environmental, biological, archaeological, socioeconomic, and geological conditions or potential conflicts, or other information that might bear upon the potential leasing, exploration, and development of the program area and vicinity." The requested information was solicited for the Virginia waters located strictly within the initial 2.9 million acres comprising the federal Lease Sale 220 area, but Interior did not ask what Virginians think about a second followup offshore drilling plan only three miles from shore, now scheduled for 2014.
It is this additional expanded drilling plan for which the Interior Secretary has just announced an entirely reasonable 180-day extension of the public comment period as it encompasses waters much closer to shore. "To establish an orderly process that allows us to make wise decisions based on sound information, we need to set aside 'the plan' and create our own timeline," Salazar announced. "Our available data is very old and incomplete," he told reporters. "We shouldn't make decisions on America's treasures based on old information."
Governor Kaine simply calls for the temporary postponement of Virginia Lease Sale 220. "This Lease Sale is the only one currently proposed anywhere along the Atlantic seaboard," he writes. "I believe that no lease sale should be conducted in the Atlantic until the process that you have outlined for the 5 Year Program [2010-2015] is complete."
Including Virginia in the same process used to study all other Atlantic offshore drilling, and to incorporate adequate information about other offshore areas of Virginia, makes sense. Certainly, if MMS doesn't have enough information and studies to safely conduct any other lease sales in our region, they certainly do not know enough to conduct the FIRST lease sale, Virginia's Lease Sale 220, which goes on the auction block as early as 2011.
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Two bills in particular were the subject of a stakeholders' meeting held today by the new 
One of our marquee bills this session is the "Stream Saver" bill, SB564. (
Coal is in the blood of the people of Wise County, Virginia. With a population of around 41,000, the coal industry has provided steady income for an otherwise remote part of Appalachia. Situated in the southwest corner of the Commonwealth, the county boasts several small, tight-knit communities, a functional public school system, two colleges, and a thriving sense of mountainous spirit that hallmarks Appalachian living.
With U.S. Senator Mark Warner at his side both at a press event in Roanoke and later via conference call, Democratic candidate for governor Creigh Deeds yesterday announced "a comprehensive plan to create jobs and renew Virginia's economy through targeted tax cuts for small businesses, innovative partnerships to generate new jobs in the alternative energy industry, creative initiatives to jump-start an economic recovery in rural regions, as well as a commonsense approach to finally solve Virginia's statewide transportation challenges through responsible, bipartisan leadership".
Dendron, Virginia, has more than its share of challenges. The community of around 300, located in the southern corner of Surry County, struggles with an outdated municipal water system, crumbling sidewalks and no major businesses within the town.
Dominion power aims to revolutionize the way it distributes electricity, beginning in Charlottesville, VA. On Tuesday morning, members of Albemarle County board of supervisors, the Charlottesville city council, Governor Tim Kaine and Dominion CEO, Tom Farrell, met along the city's pedestrian mall to announce Dominion's new Smart Grid initiative. John Casteen, president of the University of Virginia, was also in attendance. With implementation expected to be completed in the next few months, Charlottesville and the surrounding area will be among the first in Virginia to use the technology on a large scale.
At 2:00p.m. today, Governor Tim Kaine held a press conference in the Capitol complex's Patrick Henry Building. Kaine used the meeting to announce the newest initiative underneath his Renew Virginia campaign: executive order #82, "Greening of State Government." His announcement detailed a new (and mildly exciting) plan for encouraging gains in efficiency and conservation in state-owned buildings and by state employees. Applying primarily to state-level buildings, fleet vehicles and personnel, Kaine hopes that the initiative will show, "leadership that will inspire local governments," to do the same. Serving as an extension of previous Renew Virginia order #48, the initiative hopes to encourage improvements in energy usage, fuel consumption, and recycling through new regulations and incentives:
Politics matter.
Last week, gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell wrote the other candidates for Governor asking them to join him in signing a letter to Interior Secretary Salazar. It was a letter that asked the new Interior Secretary to reject Governor Kaine's recent request that Virginia Lease Sale 220 be removed from the 2007-2012 program and included instead with the 2010-2015 program for offshore oil and gas lease sales. In essence, McDonnell's letter asserts that it is somehow a bad idea to proceed with gathering adequate information and ensure that we have the scientific data needed to make a reasoned decision about the aggressive Bush offshore drilling plans now still aimed at our coastline here in Virginia.
