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News Stories
Va. truck stop makes, sells 'green' fuel
Richmond Times-Dispatch (07/24/08)
A "green" biodiesel truck stop has opened in Henry County. Red Birch Energy Inc. said it uses canola seed to make biodiesel in a "farm to fuel" operation. The canola seed is crushed to extract oil, which is refined and blended into biodiesel, and then sold at the company's pumps on U.S. 220 north of Martinsville. The company says it contracts with farmers to grow canola on their idle fields in the winter. When the canola seed is crushed, a byproduct of meal is produced that is used as a feed supplement for farm animals.
Roanoke College meshes ecology efforts - Until now, green initiatives at the college have occurred independently.
The Roanoke Times (07/23/08)
The environment remains a newsmaker from here to Beijing. Demand for the Toyota Prius is up. China is trying to reduce its air pollution (for next month's Olympics, at least). And in Salem, to coordinate campus efforts to protect the environment, Roanoke College has formed a Green Advisory Committee. On its list of duties? To be a clearinghouse for ecology issues and to advise President Michael Maxey and his Cabinet. Green initiatives have happened independently so far, making them harder to track, explained Teresa Gereaux, a college spokeswoman and committee member.
Warming Is Major Threat To Humans, EPA Warns
The Washington Post (07/18/08)
Climate change will pose "substantial" threats to human health in the coming decades, the Environmental Protection Agency said yesterday -- issuing its warnings about heat waves, hurricanes and pathogens just days after the agency declined to regulate the pollutants blamed for warming. In a new report, the EPA said "it is very likely" that more people will die during extremely hot periods in future years -- and that the elderly, the poor and those in inner cities will be most at risk. Other possible dangers include more powerful hurricanes, shrinking supplies of fresh water in the West, and the increased spread of diseases contracted through food and water, the agency said. The strong warnings highlighted the contorted position that the EPA has staked out on climate change. Last week, the agency decided not to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, at least not until after President Bush's term ends.
Virginia Beach is first to be named 'green destination'
The Virginian-Pilot (07/18/08)
White towels, tan sands, blue skies - and one officially green resort. Virginia Beach named itself the state's first "green destination" at a North End ceremony Thursday. A few months back, the Virginia Green program told the city it would approve the moniker if 20 restaurants, 12 hotels, one attraction and the Virginia Beach Convention Center could be certified as places working toward environmentally conscious habits.
Green buildings are going up, but so are the prices
The Virginian-Pilot (07/18/08)
Amid a softening local office market, some developers are testing a new strategy to attract tenants: stamping their buildings as green. Touting benefits such as cheaper utility bills and more productive workers, developers are spending as much as $100,000 on top of construction costs to get a certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Obviously we wouldn't be doing it if we weren't making money," said Craig Cope, a local vice president for developer Liberty Property Trust. "It does differentiate us from the competition for now."
Port praised for going green - Also, a $750,000 EPA grant will help pay for three fuel-efficient locomotives at the terminal.
Daily Press (07/18/08)
To position itself more in line with its newly christened green agenda, the Virginia Port Authority has a new logo featuring a fish and a green leaf with the environmentally friendly tag-line: "Building a brighter, cleaner, greener future." Though it may seem a bit of a stretch for one of the region's largest consumers of fossil fuels to tout itself as environmentally conscious, the authority insists it is in front of the curve, and a handful of prominent environmental groups agree. On Wednesday, the federal Environmental Protection Agency awarded the authority a $750,000 grant to help pay for the lease and eventual purchase of three fuel-efficient locomotives for its rail operations at Norfolk International Terminals.
They're green with action - The Green Corps involves young people in a range of activities that help others and themselves.
Daily Press (07/18/08)
The Green Corps started its first community service project this month, willing and able to make its city a cleaner and more beautiful place to live. During the hot afternoon of July 8, several young members picked up trash at a reclaimed lot on a corner of Bland Avenue and Chatham Drive. At first glance, the area hardly seemed in need of such a patrol. But once they began, the students and a few adults quickly spotted and collected debris. They filled 15 bags with trash and two more held recyclables.
Bay at risk from global warming - Conservation group says rising sea levels could swamp region
Daily Press (07/16/08)
The National Wildlife Federation predicts that rising sea levels caused by global warming could drown half the Chesapeake Bay's beaches and swamps by 2100. A report released yesterday by the Reston-based conservation group endorses the United Nations' call to cut worldwide greenhouse gases by 80 percent by 2050. However, such a response will not prevent some disruptions in the bay region, said Patty Glick, the federation's senior global warming specialist. "Sea level rise is already under way and likely to continue," she said yesterday. Glick said the computer model the group used provides what she calls the most comprehensive and detailed analysis to date on how global warming will affect the region.
Wind-energy contract signed - Henrico's Old Dominion Electric to buy half the output of wind farm in Pa.
Richmond Times-Dispatch (07/10/08)
Old Dominion Electric Cooperative of Henrico County said yesterday that it has signed a long-term agreement to buy half the output of a Pennsylvania wind farm. Old Dominion is a generation cooperative that supplies 12 distribution cooperatives in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. The wind-energy contract is with AES Corp. of Arlington, whose Armenia Mountain Wind Energy Project in north central Pennsylvania is expected to be operational by November 2009.
Methane-trapping firm in market that aims to cut emissions
Richmond Times-Dispatch (06/12/08)
A voluntary effort to cut climate-changing greenhouse-gas emissions took center stage in Richmond yesterday. Representatives of a Pittsburgh company that produces coal-bed methane in Virginia were accompanied by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine to announce that it joined the Chicago Climate Exchange. The exchange offers a market-based approach for combating climate change by providing financial incentives to companies that reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
Gas company reduces carbon footprint of coal
WDBJ (06/11/08)
Governor Kaine praised CNX Gas for reducing the carbon footprint of coal. The company captures methane from coal mines in Buchanan County. It has registered more than eight million metric tons of emission offsets with the Chicago Climate Exchange. That's the same amount of carbon emissions produced by more than 1.5 million vehicles each year.
CNX Gas employs 1,000 people in southwest Virginia. That number is expected to grow.
Firm registers emissions credits from Va.
Richmond Times-Dispatch (06/11/08)
A Pittsburgh company producing methane gas off Southwest Virginia coal beds announced its registration of offsets with the Chicago Climate Exchange this morning with the help of Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine. The climate exchange is a voluntary market approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Credits for emissions are bought and sold on the exchange in an effort to reduce the overall release into the atmosphere of climate changing gases such as methane and carbon dioxide.
A state goal that all Virginians can share
Richmond Times-Dispatch (06/09/08)
Saving energy is a state goal. It can be achieved through conservation, or not wasting energy, and through its efficient use, which means reducing the amount of energy needed. Energy-conscious consumers can save themselves money, help the state and country by trimming the need to import energy, and improve the environment by reducing pollution created when energy is produced.
Warner loses chance to see crowning legislative moment - The veteran Virginia Republican senator was unable to break a GOP filibuster on a greenhouse gas measure. (VCI was quoted in the story – we were contacted following issuing a news release)
Daily Press (06/08/08)
There must surely be easier ways to prepare for retirement. As he winds down a 30-year career in the U.S. Senate, Virginia Republican John Warner hoped to secure one lasting legacy for his children and grandchildren: legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions that warm the Earth. That hope was effectively shattered last week, when his fellow Republicans rose to obstruct work on a bill that represented nearly a year's worth of negotiations.
Senate kills J. Warner's climate bill
Richmond Times-Dispatch (06/07/08)
Sen. John W. Warner's bill to limit greenhouse gas emissions died in the Senate yesterday. Supporters failed to muster the 60 votes needed to limit debate and vote on the bill. The bipartisan backers of the Climate Security Act claimed a moral victory, though, as 54 senators supported the plan to cut global-warming emissions by 66 percent by 2050. "We laid the foundation for this very important legislation," Warner said at a news conference after the floor vote. "I'd like to discreetly and quietly disappear," he said. "I don't seek any legacies."
GOP request to read bill aloud slows Sen. Warner's environment proposal
The Virginian-Pilot (06/05/08)
Debate slowed down - way down - Wednesday on a global warming bill co-authored by Virginia Sen. John Warner when Republican opponents insisted that a new, 500-page version of the bill be read aloud. As senators prepared to begin considering amendments to a massive "cap-and-trade" plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., presented a new version of the legislation.
Tech works to reduce environmental impact
Collegiate Times (06/04/08)
President Charles Steger and Virginia Tech have recently announced a plan to reduce campus global warming emissions. Student environmental groups have twice called for Steger to sign the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. These commitments are focused on getting colleges around the country more involved in reducing their levels of carbon. Steger did not sign these agreements. However, Tech, as Steger recently stated, will soon be on its way to developing its very own campus sustainability plan.
Statement on the Climate Security Act
WHSV (06/04/08)
Governor Timothy M. Kaine released the following statement Wednesday on the Climate Security Act: Virginians can be proud that our Senator, John Warner, is a lead sponsor of the Climate Security Act, which is under consideration by the U.S. Senate this week. Global warming is one of the most critical issues of our time, and it will have serious consequences for Virginia if it remains unchecked. “The bipartisan legislation sponsored by senators Warner, Lieberman and Boxer uses a market-based approach to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is a strong bill that will, over time and with complementary state and local actions, achieve the level of reductions that scientists say are needed to prevent the worst consequences of global warming.
Senate climate debate set - 'To do nothing is not an option,' sponsor John Warner says
Richmond Times-Dispatch (06/03/08)
The Senate voted yesterday to spend 30 hours debating a sweeping climate-change bill sponsored by Sen. John W. Warner, R-Va. Debate on the bill, which aims to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions greatly, is scheduled to begin today at 10 a.m. President Bush has threatened a veto. "To do nothing is not an option," Warner said on the Senate floor before the 74-14 vote to take up the first major pollution-curbing bill in three years.
Warner's greenhouse-gas bill clears first hurdle in Senate
The Virginian-Pilot (06/03/08)
The Senate on Monday opened what likely will be a protracted debate over legislation to combat global warming, with President Bush condemning the complex "cap-and-trade" plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and Virginia's senior senator urging voters to demand its passage. "There's a great feeling all across America.... We must move and move now," Sen. John Warner, R-Va., told colleagues. "Do something. Doing nothing is not an option. Let us do something."
Sen. Warner joins the fight to limit greenhouse gas emissions (VCI staff worked on this story with EDAF)
The Virginian-Pilot (06/02/08)
Virginia Sen. John Warner began a week-long campaign Monday to push for Senate passage of complex legislation to curb global warming, even as President Bush vowed to veto the measure if it reaches his desk. Kicking off one of the most difficult legislative challenges of his 30-year Senate career, the Republican Warner joined with key Democratic leaders in bringing to the Senate floor a bill that would cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by about 70 percent over four decades. The bill would allow companies to buy and sell allowances for carbon emissions similar to a process used to combat so-called acid rain. Bush promptly issued a veto threat, saying the measure would raise taxes, increase gasoline prices, and harm the economy.
Warner begins climate bill debate
Daily Press (06/02/08)
Virginia Sen. John Warner began a week-long campaign Monday to push for Senate passage of complex legislation to curb global warming, even as President Bush vowed to veto the measure if it reaches his desk. Kicking off one of the most difficult legislative challenges of his 30-year Senate career, the Republican Warner joined with key Democratic leaders in bringing to the Senate floor a bill that would cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases by about 70 percent over four decades. The bill would allow companies to buy and sell allowances for carbon emissions similar to a process used to combat so-called acid rain. Bush promptly issued a veto threat, saying the measure would raise taxes, increase gasoline prices, and harm the economy.
Press Releases
Opinion/Editorials
Tackle Climate Change; Don’t Hurt the Economy
The News & Advance (06/12/08)
Environmentalists and other supporters are calling the Senate’s failure last week to advance global warming legislation a missed opportunity. In that it would have been the beginning on the part of the United States to tackle the worldwide problem, they are right. Nonetheless, Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., said international observers would be gratified that the measure he co-sponsored received support from a majority of the Senate. The bill, which aimed to reduce total U.S. carbon emissions associated with global warming by nearly 70 percent by 2050, died when supporters could not get the 60 votes needed to bring the measure to the floor for a vote.
Senate Bill Provides Solid Framework For Future Solutions
Richmond Times-Dispatch (06/10/08)
From the Chesapeake Bay to the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia's lands and waters bolster our economy and enhance our quality of life. But today, a changing climate threatens those lands and waters -- and the services they provide to all of us.
There is a clear consensus among the scientific community that unless we take immediate and significant action, continued warming will bring a range of dangerous impacts, including coastal flooding, stronger hurricanes, increased drought and threats to our water supplies, devastating impacts to wildlife and fisheries, and threats to human health, our economy, and our national security.
THE CLIMATE SECURITY ACT - Think Globally, Act Locally: a National Security Perspective
Richmond Times-Dispatch (06/03/08)
This week, the U.S. Senate takes up landmark legislation on climate change. Introduced last year by Virginia's own Sen. John Warner along with Sen. Joseph Lieberman from Connecticut, the Climate Security Act represents a significant step for ward in congressional action on climate change. Along with efforts to curb greenhouse gases, the Lieberman-Warner bill includes an international climate change adaptation program, which would use revenue from the auction of greenhouse-gas emission permits to provide assistance to vulnerable developing countries to adapt to climate change impacts. The legislation also tackles the critical importance of providing assistance to address the ways in which climate change impacts can undermine our national security.
Climate Action in the Senate - Sadly, even having a debate is progress
Washington Post (06/02/08)
THE SENATE is scheduled to vote today on a motion to proceed to debate on the Climate Security Act of 2008. Given this nation's sluggish response to global warming, that will qualify as a big step. The chances of passage this year are worse than 50-50. But the markers being laid for the next president are worth pursuing.
We're in a Race Against Time -- and Rising Tides
Richmond Times-Dispatch (06/01/08)
While it's way too soon to think about buying beachfront property in Richmond, it's long past time to deal with the westward creep of Virginia's shoreline. Melting glaciers, warming seas, and Virginia's gradually sinking coastal plain are combining to produce at least a 2-foot relative sea-level rise over the next century, double the current rate. This doesn't sound like much unless you live in Hampton Roads where that recent mid-May, two day, run-of-the-mill, wind from the north caused enough flooding to shut down low-lying parts of the region.
Editorial: Going green at Virginia Tech - The school promises to help Blacksburg reduce greenhouse gas emissions
The Roanoke Times (06/01/08)
Virginia Tech is the behemoth in Blacksburg. It creates jobs, attracts visitors and affects just about every aspect of living in town. It's not all positive, either. Traffic would be lighter without the school, drunks would not overrun downtown streets and the air would be cleaner. On that last point, at least, things might soon improve. The town council in recent years set Blacksburg on a course to reduce its carbon emissions. Environmentally friendly policies include using biodiesel in some vehicles, planting more trees and reducing electricity use. By 2012, the town hopes to get its greenhouse gas emissions down to 1990 levels. That task could be a lot easier if Tech helps. The town cannot force a state institution to do anything, and despite student requests in recent years, the school has not signed on to a national college climate initiative.
Are penguins on thin ice?
Free Lance-Star (05/11/08)
Antarctic penguins have fascinated people since they were first discovered by Magellan's expedition in 1520; the expedition historian called them "strange geese," while the crew used the fearless birds as a source of food. Today, thanks to a combination of man-made climate change and increased fishing for krill--the bread and butter for many penguin species--these flightless birds are up against threats far greater than that posed by Magellan's hungry sailors. A series of scientific conferences, culminating in an international policy meeting this fall, could make their lives easier--or perpetuate challenges for which millions of years of evolution never prepared them.
Updating old streetlights is one way to achieve dramatic energy savings
Daily Press (05/11/08)
Can we really go "green" to achieve big-time energy savings? For one solution hidden in plain sight, look outside at the streetlight closest to you. Energy-wise, it's probably a Neanderthal — burning significant power dusk to dawn, based on old technology, its glow polluting the night skies. In just the top 10 U.S. metro areas, the 4.4 million streetlights each year burn roughly 3 billion kilowatts of power, sending 2.3 million metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere.
For Earth Day, support cap-and-trade law (picked up from the Daily Press)
Chicago Tribune (04/19/08)
One of the things that made the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, stand out is that it cut across political lines. On that day Republicans and Democrats both spoke out on the need to confront major environmental problems.
For Earth Day, support cap-and-trade law (submitted by VCI staff)
Daily Press (04/19/08)
One of the things that made the first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, stand out is that it cut across political lines. On that day Republicans and Democrats both spoke out on the need to confront major environmental problems.
It’s Time For More Green-Collar Jobs
Daily News-Record (04/22/08)
NOT TOO LONG AGO, "green" was a term used by mainly environmentalists and environmental activists. However, in recent years, especially with the growing threat of global warming, the term "green" has become popular in mainstream media and society and is used to describe something that is good for the environment and sustainable. There is a growing effort to "go green" and make small life changes that positively affect and protect the environment.
Editorial: Changing the GOP on climate change
The Roanoke Times (04/11/08)
Virginia Sen. John Warner understands that mitigating climate change is essential to national security. But he's having to work hard to convince fellow Republicans to support his bill to limit the greenhouse gases the U.S. spews into the atmosphere.
Letters to the Editor
Congress Should Approve Climate Security Act
Richmond Times-Dispatch (06/04/08)
It isn't too late for Congress to act and save the only home we have, Earth. While the excitement of the Mars expedition reminds us of the potential for many new worlds, in fact we have only one home and it's ours to save. Television talking heads rarely remind us that global warming hits poor communities around the world first and worst with droughts, floods, and disease. If the past weeks' Myanmar and post-quake floods are indicators of what is to come, we know that climate change is quickly becoming a creator of poverty and despair around the world.
John Warner did right on environment
Daily Progress (05/31/08)
On May 21, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved the Global Warming Pollution Act of 2008 by a vote of 10-9. The measure was largely a partisan vote with the exception of the strong leadership shown by Virginia’s John Warner. Sen. Warner broke with fellow Republicans and voted for this bill, which defends a state’s right to adopt stricter global warming emissions standards for vehicles.
Scientists: Bay already affected
Daily Press (05/30/08)
As the U.S. Senate prepares for one of its first ever realistic discussions of climate change legislation on the Senate floor next week, two scientists said Thursday that Virginia is already seeing changes due to global warming. The Chesapeake Bay's average water temperature is rising about 0.3 degrees Celsius per year, said Roger Mann, director of research at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and a member of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's Climate Change Commission. The mouth of the bay is also seeing a higher sea level rise than any spot on the East Coast of the United States and Canada, Mann said.
Taxpayers may be sacrificing service from firefighters
The Roanoke Times (05/23/08)
I decided to give walking to work a try. I live only about two miles from work, but it's a steep mountain road with shallow shoulders. I am pleased to report that the experiment was a success. Here are a few lessons I learned:
Earth Day answer (submitted by VCI staff)
The Virginian-Pilot (04/22/08)
Once an issue confined to the Democratic left, climate change is now in the mainstream of American politics. Now that it is on magazine covers and being debated by presidential candidates, the question is: What kind of policy will both Republicans and Democrats support? A cap-and-trade system is the answer.
Earth Day resolution
The Virginian-Pilot (04/08/08)
The most powerful individual lifestyle solution to global warming was suggested in a 2006 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. The report found that meat production accounts for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, more than automobiles! Carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, is emitted by burning forests to create animal pastures and by combustion of fossil fuels to operate farm machinery, trucks, refrigeration equipment, factory farms and slaughterhouses. Methane and nitrous oxide are released from digestive tracts of cattle and from animal waste cesspools.
Global argument
The Virginian-Pilot (03/18/08)
Whether or not global warming is a threat to our existence, there is one issue that both believers and cynics of global warming should be able to agree on: Pollution is a serious threat to the viability of our planet.
Agencies have found vinyl is safe to use
The Roanoke Times (10/16/07)
Congress worked hard this summer to pass energy bills that will benefit consumers and working people instead of making the world's richest companies even richer. Now these companies are trying to convince everyone that making our cars go farther on a gallon of gas and getting more of our energy from clean, renewable sources like wind and solar is going to wreck the economy. This simply is not true.
Columns/Blogs
New Report: Tens of Thousands of Virginia Green Jobs
Raising Kaine (06/04/08)
Workers at every skill level will be in high demand and have greater job security in key industries that would be essential to building a clean-energy economy in Virginia and fighting global warming, according to a new report released today by a coalition of conservation and labor groups. "Achieving a clean energy economy through green industries like wind and solar are just part of the story. This report is also about job security. Making homes and offices more energy efficient not only saves money and energy, but also represents growth opportunities for workers who build our communities and keep them running," said Karl Bren, president and founder of GreenVisions Consulting and a member of the Governor's Energy Policy Advisory Council. "We're talking about jobs at every skill level from construction to research, already available here at home."
Practice green business
The News Leader (05/18/08)
Healthy trees have deep roots, iron trunks, and a green canopy. The same is true, metaphorically speaking, of vibrant businesses and non-profit organizations. They have well-grounded economic viability, strong connections to the community, and environmentally responsible practices. A series of feature stories about green efforts by local towns and schools made front-page news last month. To less fanfare, a short article ran concerning a new lender in town that aims to enhance economic, civic, and sustainable development by aiding enterprises at the seedling stage.
How Global Warming Could Hit Home: The Virginia Impact
Bacons Rebellion (04/23/08)
The Governor's Commission on Climate Change dug into some meaty material yesterday, exploring what would happen to Virginia if commonly accepted scenarios for rising temperatures and sea levels pan out. Bill Geroux with the Times-Dispatch hits the highlights of the meeting, held in Williamsburg, but lacked either the time or news hole to recount much of the rich detail in the presentations. (Incredibly, it appears that neither the Daily Press nor the Virginian-Pilot covered the meeting in their own back yard -- if they did, I can't find their stories online.) I will try to explore a couple of topics in more depth in later posts, based on the presentations found on the Governor's Commission on Climate Change website. But don't just accept my spin on the story. Peruse the documents yourself....
Still a Lot to Learn about Climate Change
Bacons Rebellion (03/20/08)
As the governor's commission on climate change starts digging into the impact of Global Warming on Virginia -- a particular concern is the expected three-foot rise of sea levels by the end of the century -- it would do well to acknowledge the evolving state of climate science. Nearly every day brings some new discovery that refines our knowledge of the mechanics of climate change. The latest, as reported by National Public Radio, highlights "the mystery of Global Warming's missing heat."
Statements
Nature Conservancy in Virginia Statement on Warner-Lieberman Climate Legislation
Nature Conservancy website (10/18/07)
"The Nature Conservancy in Virginia thanks Senator Warner for his continued leadership on this critical issue. Climate change is global in scope, but it threatens the local places we call home here in Virginia. Senator Warner's work with Senator Lieberman demonstrates that this issue, while large and complex, remains amenable to timely, thoughtful, and strategic policy responses. We are proud to see a Virginian emerge as a leader in these policy discussions, and we look forward to continuing to work with Senator Warner on this legislation."
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