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This Month: > Participate in Earth Hour 2009 > Incentives to Drive Green > New Report Details How Climate Change Will Affect Public Health > Upcoming Events 
> Participate in Earth Hour 2009 Do you have plans tomorrow that could help shape global policy? On March 28, you can help save energy and plug into a worldwide effort to stop climate change by turning off your lights for one hour between 8:30 and 9:30 PM during "Earth Hour." The movement began in Sydney in 2007 and has quickly caught on across the world. In fact, in 2008 highly visible city symbols such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome's Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all participated. The WWF is urging the world to show support to reach the target of 1 billion participants which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen later this year. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday. Let's make sure Virginia is well represented. Register here. > Incentives to Drive Green Hybrid electric vehicles have already moved in the public eye from a trend to a smart purchase for all drivers. Even though gas prices have recently dropped, automotive manufacturers are working to produce more hybrid vehicles and other fuel efficient technologies. Reducing usage of vehicles, carpooling or driving fuel efficient vehicles are all among the many ways that Americans can reduce their carbon emissions. This topic was explored in "The Road to Sustainability," a forum sponsored by Ford Motor Company on March 24th at Virginia Commonwealth University. Nathan Lott, Executive Director of the Virginia Conservation Network, represented the environmental community on the panel and spoke about the meaning of sustainability and the need for corporate stewardship. Electricity, electricity, electricity is shaping up to be the power source for vehicles of the future said Ford Engineer Dale Crombez who gave an overview of the company's plan to release battery electric vehicles in 2011 and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in 2012, in addition to more offerings of traditional hybrid vehicles. > New Report Details How Climate Change Will Affect Public Health A new report published in a U.S. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences journal finds that climate change will seriously impact public health, but the United States is failing to support the research needed to prepare for it Global warming is expected to worsen many health problems, including heat-related mortality, diarrheal diseases, and diseases associated with exposure to ozone and allergens from the air. Health effects are also likely to result from altered air, water, agriculture, and ecosystems processes, according to the report. Despite the expected consequences, federal funding of health research related to climate change is estimated to be less than $3 million per year. The report concludes that more than $200 million is needed annually to fund programs in federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For more information, read Environmental Defense Fund's full release. > Upcoming Events 20th Annual Environment Virginia Symposium March 31-April 2, Lexington: Virginia Military Institute Citizens for A Better Eastern Shore - Annual Meeting April 7, Melfa: Eastern Shore Community College Public Forum and Workshop on Green Infrastructure April 7-8, Powhatan Bio-Energy: Exploring Municipal Solid Waste and Wood for Energy Production April 10, Manassas: George Mason University Life without Carbon (WCAN Lecture Series) April 13, Williamsburg: William & Mary College Earth Day Richmond 2009 April 18, Richmond: Manchester Neighborhood Earth Day Celebration at the Virginia Living Museum April 18-19, Newport News: Virginia Living Museum 
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