Category: Blog

 
Major legislation to move Virginia forward in addressing climate change is before the Virginia General Assembly this week and next in Richmond. In recent days, a diverse and growing set of voices — from pediatricians to scientists to student leaders to low-income housing advocates — have urged legislators to pass this bill, called the Virginia Coastal Protection Act.
This powerful bipartisan bill is the biggest way our state can take action on climate in this General Assembly session. The bill will cut carbon pollution while raising critical funds to protect our coast from rising seas and support climate solutions statewide.

Here’s what our supporters are saying:

American Association of Pediatrics

“Global warming is a major threat to the health, safety and security of children in Virginia.  As global temperatures rise, many other major changes are occurring, including melting glaciers, worsening storms and rising sea levels. These fundamental changes ultimately impact human health, and children are at particularly high risk.
Climate change presents other significant health risks to children.  These include increased heat illness, worsening respiratory and allergic disease due to impacts on air quality and plant pollen production, and changes in patterns of climate sensitive infections.”

Norfolk City Council Resolution in support of Virginia Coastal Protection Act.

“Localities in the Hampton Roads region recognize the need for increased resources to implement local adaptation plans and acknowledge that coordination throughout all levels of government is required to provide adequate solutions to the region’s growing flooding risks.”

Union of Concerned Scientists

“Virginia is already experiencing coastal impacts, including an increase in the frequency and severity of tidal flooding. Scientists in Virginia and around the nation have documented how the problem of rising sea level, which is largely the result of our changing climate, will continue to get worse.
Only one of the bills the committee is taking up offers a common sense solution to cut the carbon pollution that fuels climate change and decrease its devastating impacts on the state. Unfortunately, the remaining three bills would leave Virginia on a trajectory that exacerbates their existing dilemma. Efforts to block the carbon pollution rules that promise greater coastal protections, cleaner air and a safer climate seem shortsighted and ill-advised.”

Virginia Housing Coalition

“This bill would directly aid our main constituency, low and moderate income renters and homeowners. At least half of the 30% that would go towards energy efficiency and clean energy programs under this bill would go towards energy efficiency improvements for the low and moderate residential sectors. This arrangement would have the dual benefit of aiding Virginia in reaching its energy use and carbon reduction goals while helping Virginians that struggle with the cost of their housing save money and live more comfortably.”

Virginia Student Environmental Coalition

“The stakes of inaction are not limited to fluctuations in electricity prices. Failure to address carbon emissions within our state is a gamble with the future of the youth generation today and with the viability of this planet to house your grandchildren. I implore you to stand up for future generations by supporting this common sense legislation. I ask you to be responsible for your children and myself. Leave us a planet that allows us to aspire for greatness.”

The Washington Post Editorial Board

“Starting next year, the EPA will demand that every state’s power sector meet specific emissions targets, with the goal of cutting the electricity industry’s national carbon footprint by 30 percent of 2005 levels by 2030. But states have flexibility about how they comply with the EPA’s mandate. They can choose traditional, command-and-control regulation that imposes changes on power plants, promotes renewables or cuts electricity waste. Or they can take a more efficient, market-based approach that would cost less money, require less hassle and raise revenue for the state. Del. Ronald A. Villanueva (R-Virginia Beach) has a bill that would do the latter.”

Update: The Senate version Virginia Coastal Protection Act (SB1428) fell one vote short of passing the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee.  The house version of the Virginia Coastal Protection Act (HB2205) will continue on through House Commerce and Labor Subcommittee on Energy, Tuesday, February 3rd.

Read the full letters and articles here:

American Association of Pediatrics Senate Letter.
American Association of Pediatrics House Letter.
“Hampton Roads Mayors Bring Concerns to Richmond.” 1/29/2015. The Virginian-Pilot.
Norfolk City Council Resolution in support of VA Coastal Protection Act.
Union of Concerned Scientists Letter Supporting VA CPA.
Virginia Housing Coalition Support Letter SB 1428. 
VSEC Letter of Support for VA Coastal Protection Act.
“Virginia’s move to cut emissions the smart way.” 1/25/2015. The Washington Post.
 
 

On an overcast day in January at 4pm, one month beyond the winter solstice, Chesapeake Climate Action Network supporter and Charlottesville resident Bob McAdams’ solar system has already generated 8.6kw of energy. His solar panels are newly installed and he’s excited to talk to me about why he installed them, and why he’s actively working to make it easier for others in Virginia to join him.
Join Bob and his neighbors for our Solar Call-In Day this Thursday, January 29th, from 6-8 pm. Our legislators need to hear from us – we want them to support solar! E-mail me at lauren@chesapeakeclimate.org for all of the details.
McAdams installed a solar home energy system at the beginning of January, and he tracks his savings on a spreadsheet, comparing his home energy usage and costs year-to-year. He calculated that on average, over the past three years he has used 26kw of energy per day.
“At this rate, during peak sunlight in the year I’ll be able to get over half of my daily usage from solar”, McAdams said.
The savings this represents are appealing to McAdams, but even more appealing are the impacts on Virginia’s climate. McAdams cares deeply about protecting the state’s environment and cutting carbon emissions.
“These are the things you don’t get with solar: no fuel. No pipeline. No long lines of coal cars. No coal ash heaps. No high level radioactive waste. No fracking. No mountaintop removal. And no carbon emissions.”
He first learned about the option to install solar from a program called Solarize Charlottesville (http://solarizecville.org/). He said that the installation process was easy and fast- it took 3 days.
“The system is simplicity itself,” he said.
I asked if any of his family or neighbors had installed solar yet, and he said that his brother is looking into installation for his house in Philadelphia. McAdams’ next door neighbor came by to ask for the Local Energy Alliance’s contact information to look into installation for her own home.
McAdams hopes to see his family, his neighbors and his fellow Virginians join him in reducing carbon emissions by switching to solar, and – even more importantly – by advocating for solar in the political process. He recently testified about the benefits of solar at a Richmond committee hearing in mid-January.
“If you don’t participate in the political process, you don’t get a government that serves you,” said McAdams.
As part of an ongoing campaign to take down the barriers to solar power in Virginia, the Chesapeake Climate Action Network has launched an effort to pass a bill this session that would support solar in Virginia by raising the net metering cap on non-residential solar power projects from 500 kW to a more competitive 2 MW. McAdams and his neighbors know this bill needs to pass if Virginia is going to play catch-up to neighboring states.
Join Bob and his neighbors for our Solar Call-In Day this Thursday, January 29th, from 6-8 pm. Our legislators need to hear from us – we want them to support solar! E-mail me at lauren@chesapeakeclimate.org to join the call-in day!

In the past few months a strong group has come together to demand Maryland DOUBLE it’s commitment to clean electricity to 40% by 2025 by passing the Clean Energy Advancement Act.
Doubling our commitment to clean electricity is the right choice for Maryland. We know that climate change affects all of us, but in many different ways.  Here in Maryland, our coastal cities are already feeling the impacts of climate change, as flooding intensifies and marshland disappears.  More than 85 percent of Marylanders live in areas that fail to meet the nation’s clean air standards, and the state has the notorious distinction of being the worst in the eastern U.S. for ground-level ozone pollution. These health burdens harm low-income people and people of color disproportionately. More clean energy can reverse this trend.
Our new coalition reflects that, and mirrors what thousands of groups are doing throughout the nation, partnering with new allies and supporting a greater movement for justice.  There’s a new understanding growing that climate justice is part of a broader social movement, that we won’t be able to achieve a sustainable future without economic equality. That’s why for this campaign we’ve partnered with dozens of new groups across the economic justice, labor, health, and faith communities.
Click here to watch and share our new video!



Featured in the video are some of our strongest and newest partnerships:
Maryland Working Families is championing a Paid Sick Days campaign in Annapolis, so workers won’t need to choose between staying home and losing a day’s pay, and coming in and infecting their co-workers. They’ve joined our campaign because they support renewable energy and more job opportunities in safer and cleaner technologies and infrastructure.
We’ve joined up with Maryland and DC 1199 SEIU because healthcare workers see the effects of climate change everyday, in the form of asthma and air pollution.  Renewable energy means cleaner air, and a healthier environment, as well as billions saved in healthcare costs.
The Maryland faith community has joined us in pledging their support of doubling our clean electricity. Our faith traditions command us to be stewards of the earth and to take care of each other. Acting on climate is an extension of religious teachings, and we’re excited to have dozens of Maryland congregations behind this bill.
Click here to watch our new video, and get involved in the campaign to pass the Clean Energy Advancement Act!

The 10th annual Keep Winter Cold Polar Bear Plunge is this Saturday, January 24th! Hundreds of CCAN supporters, along with their friends, families, Congresswoman Donna Edwards and more, will brave the waters of the Potomac River to get the word out about climate change while we raise money to keep fighting for swift action at the local, state and federal levels. For those of you planning to join us, here’s some important information.
Waivers: The plunge is a fun, family friendly event, but it’s not completely risk-free. If you completed your registration on FirstGiving, you signed a waiver form. Any plungers under 18 years of age will need to have the waiver form signed by a parent or guardian. If you’re bringing a plunger who is under 18 and who hasn’t registered online, click here to print a waiver for his or her parent or guardian to sign. We will have copies of the waiver available at registration on Saturday.
Arrival time: You and any friends or family members coming along to support you should plan to get to National Harbor no later than 10:15 a.m. All plungers must register at the registration tents (which open at 10 a.m.), so make sure you get there on time!
Attire advice: You should plan to wear old sneakers or sandals that won’t fall off when you go into the water. You will also be less cold if, in addition to a towel, you bring a robe or a blanket to wear immediately before and after you go in the water. We’ll have foot warmers to put in your shoes that you’ll appreciate especially after you’ve come out of the water.
Directions: You can find out how to get to National Harbor, including via public transportation (which is possible, but slow), by going here: http://www.nationalharbor.com/directions. Follow the signs for the plunge once you’re off the interstate highway. You can also enter the address for the after-party into navigation devices for driving directions, as it is adjacent to the parking lot: McLoone’s Pier House, 141 National Plaza, National Harbor, Maryland.
Parking: There are enough spots for all in the lot by McCloone’s. The first 100 cars will be given a free parking pass. (Otherwise it costs about $5.)
Weather: As this is written, the forecast is for a crisp day with a high in the low 40s — be sure to dress warmly for before and after your plunge!
Plunge-time: We’ll have group tents for you to use to take off layers or change clothes before we take our dip, so you can dress for warmth for our opening program. Our plan is to have a short program at 11 am, head over to the changing tents by 11:20 a.m. and to be in and out of the water by 11:30 a.m.
Food and hot drinks: Zeke’s Coffee and Kate Bakes Bars are providing their delicious coffee, hot chocolate, and delectable pastries. Vegan pastry options will be available.
After-Party: But’s that’s not all! Afterwards, plan to stay around for an after-party at McLoone’s, a restaurant right next to where we’ll be doing the plunge. We’ll announce the winners of The Green Commuter bike contest and the dinner with Rev. Yearwood and Mike Tidwell contest, as well as pick raffle winners for the nine raffle prizes! Plus, this is always a fun and great way to meet some wonderful people: all of you! McCloone’s is generously offering use of their restrooms before the Plunge, as well as a 15% discount on their food and drinks for everyone who is wearing an “I Took the Plunge” sticker (available at the registration table).
Volunteers: Do you want to volunteer at the plunge? We’d love to have you! Contact Ted Glick at ted@chesapeakeclimate.org to sign up to volunteer.
We don’t encourage bringing your dog, but if you feel you have to, you must have your dog on a leash at all times.
Questions? Contact Ted Glick at ted@chesapeakeclimate.org or 240-396-2155.
See you Saturday!

On Saturday, January 24th — for the 10th year in a row — CCAN supporters will run into freezing waters to raise funds for the most important cause of all: a stable climate.
In honor of the 10th anniversary of CCAN’s “Keep Winter Cold” Polar Bear Plunge, we’ve compiled a list of the “top 10” reasons to join us:
#10. It literally takes no will power: It’s easy to run into freezing water — when you’re surrounded by hundreds of fellow climate activists. Just watchthis video of last year’s plunge and tell me if you see anyone hesitate.
#9. You’ll secure top bragging rights: It’s easy to recruit sponsors when you tell your friends and family you’re running into the Potomac River in January. Last year, we used sledge hammers to break apart the ice beforehand — and it was our most fun and biggest fundraising year ever.
#8. It’s team-building: Are you part of a church group or environmental club? Lead a scout troop? You can raise money for our good cause while bonding through this icy feat!
#7. While the cause is serious, the day is seriously fun: On top of the exhilaration of running into icy water, we’ll have great music, speakers, food, and a toasty after party.
#6. You’ll have a chance to win great prizes: This year’s prize offerings already include a bike, dinner with Rev. Yearwood, president of the Hip Hop Caucus, and me, Patagonia gear, and a rafting trip for two!
#5. You’ll help get the word out about climate change and CCAN: This event is just crazy enough to attract media attention and raise the profile of our movement — and you could even wind up on your local TV news!
#4. You’ll meet wonderful people and inspiring leaders: Who wouldn’t want to rub elbows with VIP plungers like Congresswoman Donna Edwards and meet rock-star community activists from across our region?
#3. You’ll help us make history: For our 10th anniversary plunge, we’ve set our biggest goals ever — to recruit 300 plungers and raise $100,000 to support our work.
#2. You’ll guarantee that CCAN can keep mobilizing more and more people to take action: Raising $100,000 would fund the equivalent of two full-time organizers fighting to move our region off of dirty fossil fuels and to clean energy solutions.
#1. The climate has never needed you more: The world’s top scientists are warning of “irreversible” damage from climate change unless we rapidly switch to clean energy. CCAN is leading the way in our region, and we need your help to do even more.
Won’t you join us on Saturday, January 24th as we celebrate our 10th annual CCAN Polar Bear Plunge at National Harbor? Click here to sign up today.
Joining the plunge takes only three simple steps:

1. Create your personal fundraising page at www.keepwintercold.org. (Step-by-step instructions are below.)
2. Invite your friends, family and colleagues to sponsor your plunge.
3. Come to the event and take part in the exhilarating plunge!

Come make a difference. Have fun. And build our movement for climate solutions. Sign up for CCAN’s 2015 “Keep Winter Cold” Polar Bear Plunge!

POLAR BEAR PLUNGE DETAILS

WHAT: 10th Annual “Keep Winter Cold” Polar Bear Plunge
WHEN: Saturday, January 24th, 10:30am
WHERE: The Beach at National Harbor, MD.
HOW:

1. Go to www.keepwintercold.org and register as a plunger. Click on the green “Register” button at the top-right and a pop-up box will ask how many plungers you are registering — most people will choose “1.” After that, follow the easy prompts to create your personalized fundraising page. As part of the registration process, you can sign up as an individual, join an existing team or create a team of friends, family members or colleagues. You’ll also set a personal fundraising goal and we hope you’ll choose $350 or higher.
2. Send out emails to your personal networks asking them to sponsor your plunge (just like a charity walk or bike ride). You can ask friends old and new, work colleagues, family members…your dentist! You’d be surprised who will donate to your crazy winter dip. You can sign back into your personal fundraising page at www.keepwintercold.org with your FirstGiving username and password and click the “Your Fundraising” tab to easily send emails to your friends right through the website.
3. Come out on Saturday, January 24th at 10:30am to the beach at National Harbor, MD and take the plunge with hundreds of other climate activists.

You may have heard the news that Governor Martin O’Malley last week gave approval for the potential start of controversial fracking drilling for gas in Western Maryland. The governor released a report — three years in the making — which said that IF a wide range of protective regulations are fully implemented and monitored, then such drilling, in the governor’s view, is acceptable. 

We disagree with the governor on this. Period. While Gov. O’Malley’s proposed regulations are by far the toughest ever proposed in the country — and could serve as a model for states that already frack dangerously — they won’t eliminate the significant potential harm to Maryland’s environment and economy, and there’s no guarantee they’d be enforced. We at CCAN and our partners intend to continue to fight against this harmful practice of drilling — and we’ll need you fighting with us.
Here are our key take aways from the governor’s report — and where we’re headed next. Here are the three things you need to know:
1) The safest strategy for drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale is to NOT drill for that gas at all. We do not believe the state report proves the case that fracking can be done with acceptable public health and environmental safety in Maryland. Further, climate scientists say 80 percent of the world’s known reserves of fossil fuels must stay in the ground if we are to have any hope of stabilizing the world’s atmosphere. Simply put, the gas must stay in the ground.
2) YOUR watchdog pressure has kept fracking at bay so far in Maryland — and it made an impact in shaping Gov. O’Malley’s final report. Your insistent pressure has resulted in recommendations that, if enacted, could make gas companies think twice about whether or not they would want to drill here — according to the American Petroleum Institute’s own lobbyist in Maryland. For example, Governor O’Malley proposed a first-ever rule requiring gas companies to completely eliminate net “leakage” of methane, a powerful heat-trapping gas, from the fracking process. Gas companies would also have to do two years of preliminary water quality testing before they could start drilling. Again, none of this is a victory. But, if it weren’t for your action, fracking might very well already be a reality in Maryland. As it stands, we are still in a position to keep working to make sure it never is.
3) Come January, the ball will be in the court of Governor-elect Larry Hogan — and your representatives in the General Assembly. This is where we’re headed next. While Gov. O’Malley has said his agencies will propose final regulations for fracking before he leaves office, the final decision on what to do with them will rest with incoming Gov. Hogan and our legislators in Annapolis. CCAN is committed to working to pass legislation to prevent a reckless rush to drill in our state.
So, between now and the start of the General Assembly session in mid-January, we’ll keep you posted on the game plan. For now, there are two ways you can take action immediately to help spread the word about the dangers of fracking in Maryland and build the movement to stop it:
Write a Letter to the Editor of your local paper: We need to make sure decision-makers are hearing from concerned Marylanders like you, and that we keep educating our neighbors across the state about the risks of fracking. Contact Shilpa Joshi, at shilpa@chesapeakeclimate.org if you can write a letter to the editor of your local paper, and we’ll follow up with tips and talking points.
Click here to share this graphic on Facebook: In the past week, two prominent state newspapers — the Baltimore Sun and the Frederick News-Post — have published editorials responding to Gov. O’Malley’s report, warning of the risks fracking poses to our health, environment and economy. Keep the “no fracking” buzz going by sharing the news.
We have a lot of work to do in the months ahead. But know this: Passionate Marylanders like you have stood shoulder to shoulder across the state for years to successfully fight harmful gas drilling. You are the reason our state is frack-free today. So let’s keep fighting together to keep it that way.
Thanks for everything you do — and stay tuned for the next steps!
The Marcellus Shale Drilling Advisory Commission is holding a brief public comment session on its final report next Monday evening, December 8, in two locations. Email me at shilpa@chesapeakeclimate.org for more information on how to attend.
 
 

By now you may have heard that the Environmental Protection Agency has released a new set of rules designed to cut carbon pollution that leads to climate change. As the rules stand today, Virginia must reduce its carbon footprint by 37% by the year 2030 (the guidelines of the rule will be finalized in June of next year).
As predicted, big coal and its defenders have drawn their swords in a clash they’re billing as the ultimate War on Coal showdown between hard-working families and job killers in Virginia.
Of course, the rules aren’t too onerous for the coal industry, but they’re much needed to start curbing the effects on climate change which will get significantly worse over the course of the century unless we take action, as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently warned.
EPA is accepting comments from states through December 1^st on its new rules. Which begs the question: what side should Virginia be on? And how do these rules affect citizens in the Commonwealth? More importantly, how can Virginia use these rules as an opportunity to grow its clean energy workforce while reducing harmful pollutants in our environment?
Virginia’s State Corporation Commission staff, the administrative body charged with ratemaking within the “public interest” of the citizens, has clearly staked a position on the side against the EPA and its efforts. In an unusually blunt and bombastic set of comments delivered to the EPA, the SCC staff scolded the agency for issuing rules they deemed unlawful, unachievable, and certain to lead to drastic increases in rates for Virginians.
Interestingly, within the SCC staff’s 50-plus pages of comments bashing the Clean Power Plan, is this line: “To be clear, these comments take no position on the broad policy issues regarding how reliability risks and compliance costs caused by the Proposed Regulation compare to the environmental benefits asserted by the EPA.” 
Excuse me if I’m mistaken, but isn’t one of the main purposes of the Clean Power Plan, part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, to avoid the enormous mounting costs of climate change and, therefore, see the enormous benefits — to our health, economy, and well-being as a society — of reducing CO2 pollution?
A colleague of mine made this analogy. In the late 1990’s the federal government passed a law mandating airbags for most passenger cars, trucks, and vans on the roads. SCC staff’s comments criticizing the Clean Power Plan without considering climate benefits would be akin to some regulatory agency in the 1990’s bashing the airbag law because it increases the price on vehicles while giving the disclaimer that “we take no position on the life saving benefits of vehicle airbags in relation to incremental price increases on vehicles”.
SCC staff’s analysis is shortsighted. However, they are an important group of officials who have become influential in Virginia’s ability to craft policies to meet the new EPA rules, which are due by June of 2016.
On Wednesday, November 19^th, SCC staff will brief members of the Senate and House Commerce and Labor committee on their interpretation of the effect these rules have on Virginia. Representatives from the utility industry, Attorney General’s Office, the Department of Environmental Quality, the environmental community, and others, will also have a chance to weigh in. On Wednesday, we will get the opportunity to see where numerous agencies, businesses, and community members stand on the first landmark set of rules designed to help win the climate battle.
We all know the benefits clean energy and less fossil fuel pollution provide citizens. Virginia has the opportunity to leverage these rules to provide a spark to clean energy development and reap millions of dollars in new revenue from 21^st century technologies.
It’s time to ask your representatives, state officials, business leaders, and community members: whose side are you really on?

Dear CCAN supporters,
In case certain elections have you down, take heart. The most impressive vote this fall was not on November 4th. It was on September 21st. That’s when 400,000 Americans elected to march in New York City for the People’s Climate March. If you want to know what direction our nation is really headed in, the Climate March holds the clues. Black, white. Young, old. Gay, straight. Our country was represented at the march and our voice was loud: We want climate solutions now!
I’m reminded of the urgency of our movement and the progress we’re making wherever I travel in the Maryland/Virginia/DC region. Last month, I was in the Virginia coastal city of Portsmouth where sea-level rise linked to climate change is already wreaking havoc on a near-weekly basis. As I met with State Senator L. Louise Lucas, she explained that flooding was so bad in Portsmouth this September after a heavy rain at high tide that she had trouble reaching the apartment building she owns and operates for mentally handicapped adults to begin an evacuation.
In Annapolis, Maryland the flooding is getting so bad that a recent study from the Union of Concerned Scientists says there will be near daily “nuisance flooding” of streets and homes in the not-too-distant future. In other words, entire parts of the city are headed toward permanent disappearance.
But I’m also reminded of the progress we’re making in fighting the core source of the problem: greenhouse gas pollution. The city council in Washington, DC is on the verge of dramatically increasing wind power consumption in the city while encouraging community-based solar installations. Meanwhile, Maryland activists continue to succeed in keeping gas fracking out of the state. And in Virginia, thanks to President Obama’s Clean Power Plan, the state has the chance in the next few years to finally cap carbon pollution from its power plants.
Read more about these campaigns and learn how you can plug in on multiple important issues wherever you live. We voted with our feet in New York City in September. Now we must vote with our actions every day.
Onward!

Mike Tidwell