This Month: > Gov. Kaine Reveals Results of Green Commonwealth Challenge > Copenhagen UN Summit "An Essential Beginning" > Upcoming Events > Gov. Kaine Reveals Results of Green Commonwealth Challenge Governor Tim Kaine often tells the story of how during his campaign only one question regarding energy policy or the environment was asked. Four years later, he has shed much light on these issues and what they mean for Virginians. With the idea that conservation is the simplest action on the road to sustainability, Gov. Kaine launched the Green Commonwealth Challenge earlier this year encouraging state agencies to reduce pollution. Specifically, agencies were tasked to see how many deliberate, voluntary actions to reduce impacts to the environment could be achieved. Thirty-seven state agencies chose to participate in the voluntary program. The Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Corrections have recently been announced as the winners. According to the Governor's News Release, results achieved from the Challenge include: · Agencies avoided more than 47,000 in-person meetings during the five-month Challenge period through the use of conference calls and video conferences. Agencies estimated that these electronic meetings saved more than 3.5 million miles of driving. This translates into hundreds of thousands of dollars saved in gasoline costs, wear and tear on state vehicles, and fees for rental cars. · Agencies avoided almost 40,000 individual car trips through the use of carpooling to meetings. · Countless miles were saved in personal vehicles through alternative commuting. · Almost all of the reporting agencies already had robust recycling programs. During the Challenge period, recycling was expanded by 19 agencies. The Department of Corrections and Department of State Police, which reuse and recycle many different materials, are models for other agencies to follow in the future. · The agency that demonstrated the greatest percentage electricity bill savings was the Department of Taxation, followed by Virginia Department of Health. Congratulations to the DEQ and DOC and all who participated in this effective program. > Copenhagen UN Summit "An Essential Beginning" The UN Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen took place in December with 119 heads of states from around the world. While no goal for conclusion of a binding international treaty was set, the summit marked progress with discussions amongst the international community. President Barack Obama attended and announced that the US has pledged to cut emissions in a range of 17 percent by 2020 compared to 2005 levels, in line with legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. Pressure remains now on the U.S. Senate to pass similar legislation this spring. "Bringing all the leaders to the table paid off," said U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. "The Copenhagen accord may not be everything everyone hoped, but this is an essential beginning. We now have a foundation for the first truly global agreement that will limit and reduce greenhouse gas emissions." "We have never been so close to having so many agree on so much. If anything was clear at the Copenhagen talks it's that the world is waiting for the U.S. to act. When it does, President Obama can knit together the historic breakthroughs obscured by the end of the Copenhagen meeting," said Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund. For more on what transpired in Copenhagen, check out EDF's blog. > Upcoming Events Choose Clean Water Conference        January 10-12th, Washington, DC: Renaissance M Street Hotel VCN Conservation Lobby Day        January 18th, Richmond: Centenary Methodist Church JRGBC cityGREEN Luncheon        January 21st, Richmond: Richmond Room, Hielman Center, University of Richmond EPA Public Meeting for Stormwater        January 28th, Washington, DC: 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW AAEE Luncheon -- Chesapeake Bay: Past, Present, Future        January 29th, Washington, DC: 777 North Capitol Street, NE Diversify Your Portfolio: Regulating Energy Sources with Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards        January 29th-30th, Williamsburg: William & Mary School of Law

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