In its report delivered to the Virginia General Assembly on
Thursday outlining how the commonwealth can deal with rising sea levels, the
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)[1]
jumped into the tumultuous debate regarding Virginia’s response to the effects
of global warming.[2]
The report totals 135 pages and was created at the request
of the 2012 Virginia General Assembly. The report’s intent is to “guide”
legislators in their efforts to deal with storm surges, higher tides, rising
sea levels, and sinking land.
Not surprisingly the report puts no particular emphasis on
any single response to combating rising sea levels. The VIMS report does emphasize,
however, that the rising sea level challenges facing Virginia will likely grow
in the years ahead.
The VIMS report calls
for immediate action along a multi-step approach.
The ball is now in the Virginia General Assembly’s court, so
to speak. Will the VIMS report be another paper-weight to be filed away into
the recesses of Virginia’s legislative archive?
Virginia’s recent legislative record on this account has not
been promising for immediate and effective action by Virginia’s lawmakers.[3]
The Republican Party of Virginia has mirrored a nation-wide
belief on the part of conservative-leaning individuals that global warming and
the science that has underpinned our growing awareness of its effects (as well
as causes) is essentially a liberal hoax. According to Virginia Senator Ralph
Northam[4],
“It’s become apparent there’s an overall hostility towards science by
Republicans in the [Virginia] legislature…”[5]
Maybe the new VIMS report will change the minds of some
skeptical Republicans in the Virginia legislature. But if these individuals
haven’t been convinced of the mere possibility that global warming and sea
level rise may be a real and urgent threat by now, it’s difficult to imagine
another scientific report will finally be the keystone to unlocking the
chambers of ideological blindness.
But as each day passes, our ability to take control of the
worst effects of global warming and sea level rise slips further and further
from our control. But perhaps they also feel like Dick Saslaw; we’ll all be
dead by the time of the worst consequences so who cares?
[1] http://www.vims.edu/
[2] http://www.nbc12.com/story/20560377/va-coastal-flooding-focus-of-vims-report
[3] http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/06/13/global-warming-text-was-removed-from-virginia-bill-on-rising-sea-levels-
[4] http://www.examiner.com/article/sen-dick-saslaw-isn-t-concerned-about-the-consequences-of-uranium-mining-va
[5] http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2012/06/13/global-warming-text-was-removed-from-virginia-bill-on-rising-sea-levels-
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