Curbing Carbon

With leadership from our state, federal and local officials, we can pass legislation that not only jumpstarts our economy, but also solves global warming and ends our dependence on dirty fossil fuels.

Currently, Virginia’s economy relies heavily on fossil fuels and lags other states in curbing greenhouse gas emissions. Virginia could reduce carbon dioxide emissions on an average of 2% per year as early as 2030, putting us on a path to reach 80% reduction by 2050.

With our legacy of ingenuity and commitment, Virginia is capable of meeting this challenge, but action will be needed by government, citizens, and business alike. As the Federal government moves toward carbon regulation, those states currently enacting progressive energy policies will realize competitive advantage in the future and be better able to support growth and provide high standards of living to their citizens.

Virginia’s Legislative Agenda:

2009 General Assembly:

The Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, as an active member of the Virginia Conservation Network’s legislative committee, has been working diligently with local, state and regional environmental allies on developing issue statements and recommendations for legislative action through the General Assembly’s 2009 session.

Sierra Club and the environmental community have as our No. 1 legislative priority a mandatory efficiency bill that would require our utilities to achieve a 19% reduction in electricity use by 2025. For this bill and others; for good bills and bad bills, we will need your helping contacting your state Delegate and Senator. Our e-alert system makes that easy, and we will keep you informed on just what the General Assembly is up to. Please sign up today.

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Federal Initiatives:

Economic Stimulus Package (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act)

Cleaner, smarter energy solutions are central to driving economic recovery and growth. Generating more renewable energy, reducing our oil dependence through increased efficiency and public transit, restoring our waterways and parks, and funding local green infrastructure water projects creates good jobs, reduces pollution, and will jump-start America's economy.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 reflects President Obama's vision of an economic recovery plan that recognizes the vital role of clean energy. The bill makes an important down payment on solutions that will transform America's economy and lead to a clean energy future and begins to invest in training the next generation of workers.

Read more.

Clean Slate for Obama

President Obama does not need to wait for Congress to take decisive action on the environment. As President he can take action immediately on several measures that the Bush Administration either failed to act upon or took harmful action on. Sierra Club members across the country are contacting President Obama to ask him to:

Direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to grant a waiver that will allow California and over a dozen other states to limit global warming pollution from cars.

End the rush to build dirty coal plants by directing EPA to require all new and existing power plants limit their global warming emissions.

Direct your EPA to end irresponsible mountaintop removal coal mining by stopping coal companies from dumping rock and waste into valleys and streams.

Restore America's international leadership in the fight to end global warming by publicly committing the U.S. to cut its CO2 emissions by at least 35% by 2020.