What if Virginia’s great coastal communities basically disappeared? No naval base in Norfolk. No tourism in Virginia Beach. No shipyards in Portsmouth and Newport News.
Why imagine this? Because scientists say it could happen. Six feet of sea-level rise from climate change could inundate the Virginia coastal region in coming decades, triggering a full-blown economic and human safety crisis that will affect the entire state, from Southside to Richmond to Northern Virginia.
But here’s the good news: We can fight back. This fall, CCAN is launching a brand-new campaign to pass a game-changing piece of legislation—called the Virginia Coastal Protection Act. This bill would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Virginia while generating billions of dollars in funds to protect coastal Virginia and invest in clean energy.
Now we need you to tell your legislators in Richmond to support this common-sense, vitally important legislation.
Sign the petition: Call on your legislators to support the Virginia Coastal Protection Act, a bill that will cap statewide greenhouse gas pollution while funding vital coastal flooding solutions.
Did you know the Navy is trying to rapidly elevate its major piers in Norfolk due to rising water? Meanwhile, churches in downtown Norfolk are trying to relocate—rather than wade into Sundayservices—and engineers say the city needs $1 billion for floodgates and other measures to hold back the water.
Where will the money come from for Norfolk and other the other coastal cities and counties of Hampton Roads? Congress is in gridlock and the Virginia state budget is being squeezed.
That’s where the Virginia Coastal Protection Act comes in. The bill would direct Virginia to join a nine-state system for capping carbon pollution from power plants, called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which is already in place from Maine to Maryland. By auctioning carbon pollution permits to power companies, RGGI would generate over $200 million per year for Virginia—while cutting planet-heating pollution.
No less than 50 percent of the revenues raised under the bill would fund coastal flood protection measures. The other half would be invested in other climate solutions—like solar power development statewide, as well as investments in energy efficiency and the retraining of displaced workers in areas like Southwest Virginia.
Sign the petition: Call on your state legislators to support the Virginia Coastal Protection Act, a bill that will cap statewide greenhouse gas pollution while funding coastal flooding solutions.
This bill is good for the entire state of Virginia. By reducing pollution from dirty power plants statewide, it will dramatically clean up our air. Plus, many observers believe that joining RGGI is the most cost-effective way for Virginia to comply with the new federal carbon rules issued last June, which mandate cuts in carbon emissions from power plants in all 50 states.
This is a win, win, win for Virginia. And now it’s time to make it reality.
Please help us pass the Virginia Coastal Protection Act. We’ll keep you posted as the bill advances, and we’ll let you know how you can stay involved.
