This Month: > The Year in Review > Agriculture Sector to Benefit by Cap and Trade > VML Conference & City of Richmond Certification > Upcoming Events > The Year in Review As the "Year of the Environment" in Virginia, 2009 has been an active year with environment and energy issues both in the Commonwealth and nationally. Two key milestones were the passage of several recommendations from Governor Kaine's Commission on Climate Change final report by the General Assembly-including a key bill to increase Virginia's voluntary Renewable Portfolio Standard to 15 % by 2025. Additionally, the US House passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act in June. Focus is now upon the United Nations Climate Change Conference, beginning on Dec. 7th. Many hoped Congress would pass a climate change bill before the Copenhagen summit; yet, action in the Senate has been delayed until 2010. Forty world leaders-including President Barack Obama-acknowledged earlier this month that a final, binding international agreement will not be possible when the world summit convenes. However, President Obama will address the conference on December 9th and is expected to tell the delegates that the United States intends to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions approximately 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020. Of note, the Commonwealth Business Council for a Competitive Economy (CBCCE) has recently been formed and is comprised of businesses across Virginia who support the transition to a clean economy both here and nationally. For more information or to join, please email Meg Willett. We hope that everyone has a safe and happy holiday season! > Agriculture Sector to Benefit by Cap and Trade In a report released on November 11th, University of Tennessee's Bio-Based Energy Analysis Group found that "net returns for virtually all major crops are positive under a properly constructed cap-and-trade program." If properly utilized, the report argues, energy produced from biomass sources would benefit from cap-and-trade while ensuring that food supply remains constant. Entitled "Analysis of the Implications of Climate Change and Energy Legislation to the Agricultural Sector," the study states that the bill must meet conditions "that allow multiple offsets, including those for bioenergy crop production, while restricting the removal of crop residues to acceptable, environmentally beneficial levels." At a carbon price of $27 per metric ton, "no major shifts in commodity cropland use are expected," including from cropland to forests. Soybeans, wheat and corn crops would benefit the most from such a cap-and-trade program, yet eight of the nine crops studied would obtain positive net results. According to the study, Virginia would see a moderate net gain of $1 billion to $10 billion in increased agricultural profitability, depending on the agricultural emphasis of each specific county. > VML Conference & City of Richmond Certification On November 13th, the Virginia Municipal League and Local Governments for Sustainability organizations hosted an all-day conference focusing on opportunities for renewable energy innovation along with the ability of local governments and organizations to encourage sustainable and environmentally friendly growth throughout the state of Virginia. During the first session, a representative of Los Alamos National Laboratory spoke on the future role of hydrogen in the domestic energy economy. While the technology is currently in the research stage, the speaker was confident that hydrogen could power fuel-cell batteries with an environmental cost on par with hybrid vehicles. The creation of a sizeable substance, however, requires burning natural gas. If natural gas is replaced by clean energy sources, the production and use of hydrogen could become a viable option for American power, especially in the form of personal vehicles. The morning session concluded with a test drive of a GM hydrogen fuel-cell prototype, which is projected to be on the market in 2015. The second session of the day included presentations by representatives of Go Green Virginia, which is seeking to expand its Green Cities and Green Governments programs to encompass community-wide sustainability efforts. The Green Communities program would bring together governments, businesses and grassroots organizations to attempt to meet a substantial set of benchmarks, including common indicators for environmental, social and economic sustainability. According to the organization's website, the program is designed to "encourage implementation of specific environmental policies and practical actions that not only reduce carbon emissions, but can save local governments money" by taking "innovative steps to reduce energy usage and promote sustainability." Visit www.GoGreenVa.org for more information on VML Green challenges. The City of Richmond has received the Green Government Certification, led by the Virginia Municipal League. According to a press release from Mayor Dwight Jones, the city earned certification by enacting such basic yet important measures as "installing a push button lighting system at Byrd Park" and "implementing an Environmental Management System which reduced the city's waste water treatment facility's power consumption." The city pledges to find further ways to lower its energy use by "conducting a greenhouse gas emissions inventory and forecast to determine the source and quantity of greenhouse gas emissions in city operations and the community." Additionally, Councilman Chris Hilbert has proposed the establishment of the "Green City Commission" to provide "ongoing expertise and information to support the sustainability efforts of the city by consulting with the state and other local governments about their sustainability efforts and methods." We hope that the successes of the City of Richmond can be expanded and improved upon in the coming year. > Upcoming Events CBF's Action Cinema        December 3rd, Richmond: CBF Virginia Office VCN Legislative Workshop        December 5th, Richmond: Capitol Building VSBN BPI Building Analyst Class        December 7-11th, Culpeper: Germanna Community College VA Chamber Energy and the Environment Forum        December 10th, Richmond: Richmond Marriott VCN Conservation Lobby Day        January 18th, Richmond: Centenary Methodist Church

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