Environment Virginia report warns that extreme weather events will increase without a change

In a report released by Environment Virginia Research and Policy Center (a nonprofit), the conclusion was clear: if greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon are not reduced, human-promoting climate change is likely to bring the number of extreme weather events that Virginia experiences up, including wildfires, hurricanes, coastal storms, heat, snow, and drought.

The report found that over nine out of ten Virginians live in localities that have experienced at least one federally declared weather disaster since 2007.

Among the political backing that the report received on Wednesday was U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott’s, a representative of Newport News, Virginia, an area likely to experience some of the worst affects in Virginia due to human-induced climate change.

According to Rep. Scott, "Virginia has too much at stake to continue to ignore this issue. We cannot continue to dispute the vast evidence, such as the evidence presented in this report, that continues to pile up confirming that climate change is happening and we need to address it. We have already wasted too much time foot-dragging."

To add further scientific weight to the conclusions reached in the Environment Virginia report, NASA scientist Bruce Wielicki added that the report is backed by solid science and should serve as "a wake-up call for all of us here in Hampton Roads."

The solutions to the problem of human-caused climate change are not wholly unattractive options, either. For instance, instead of continuing America’s/Virginia’s focus on carbon intensive fuels like coal and oil, America and Virginia could make a real effort to achieve higher levels of renewable energy use. Examples include increased biofuel, solar and wind power use. While there have been advances in renewable energy technology, the energy market remains saturated with ancient fossils we know as natural gas, coal, and oil.

Saving the planet is not a political issue, contrary to what some super wealthy Americans and their hoard of think tanks, shock troops, paid-for politicians, and academic scallions would have us believe.

It’s time for all Americans to get involved, in our own ways, in helping reduce the energy we all consume on a daily basis. If that means turning off a computer monitor every night before bed then so be it, it’s better than nothing. So while government has a role to play in reducing carbon-intensive practices, we as American citizens also have our own part to play as well.