Do you feel that Kaine will actively support the Commission’s recommendations and will help push it through the GA?

Do you expect the Wise County coal plant to be built and operate for its lifetime without regard to carbon dioxide?

First off, thanks so much for joining us today for this live blog.

My question was actually one posed by an individual I met recently with regard to sea level rise. He’s lived on the ocean for over 30 years, contends to have seen no sea level, and therefore thinks this concern is nonsense. How would you have responded to this observation?

It seems that in Virginia, Dominion Power is the elephant in the room and the state’s regulatory agencies have given a free pass. Will the commission address tightening controls? Also, what is your No. 1 priority for taking action on climate change?
And how can I help?

Which of the climate commission’s recommendations have the best chance of getting through the Republican-controlled House? Which have the least chance? What members of the House could be key swing votes?

Would you be willing to support ocean- and wind-based energy production in favor of drilling on Virginia’s continental shelf? Which of these initiatives, if any, might receive broad support in the General Assembly?

Thank-you for participating in this avenue of communication, Delegate Bouchard.
Do you believe that adoption of a mandatory, rather than the current voluntary, Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) would encourage swifter action towards developing and implementing policy aimed towards siting off-shore wind turbines along VA’s coast?

Recently, Governors in New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware and North Carolina have come out strongly in opposition to offshore drilling. Meanwhile, Governor Kaine has signaled support of exploration for natural gas only by way of his signing the Virginia Energy Plan. Despite that, the Federal government posed to sale a lease off Virginia’s coast as early as 2011 for exploration and development of both gas and oil. What would you like to see Gov. Kaine do about this situation?

Are you familar with the “”Creation care” effort to unite people of faith with the Environmental progressives as demonstrated by San Franciso based organization called “Interfaith Power and Light” and also by the work being carried out by the Serria Club known as the movement for the “greening of religion”? The Serria Club effort is being lead by Lyndsay Moseley of Tennessee and seeks to create a new partnership with people who have faith-based, moral or spiritual reasons for protecting our planet. Do you have any plans to work to expand the Environmentail partnerships into faith communities and if so, what are they?

Lyndsay Moseley has edited a new book called “Holy Ground: A Gathering of Voices on Caring for Creation”, which contains writings on faith and the environment from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Native American perspectives.

On the topic of sea level rise, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) conservatively states that a 2 foot rise in sea level will occur by the end of the century, if no action is taken to reduce greenhouse gases, and by 40 feet in the next several centuries, due to ice sheets melting and oceans expanding from warmer waters. This would flood many of our coastal cities. Also, insurance companies have already begun to raise rates and drop coverage in coastal areas of the U.S. as severe storms and hurricanes become more prevalent, and therefore expensive to insure. Your thoughts, please, on whether you agree with these predictions, and what can be done to protect our shores.

Hi, Delegate Bouchard. I’m very concerned about this fly ash situation here in Chesapeake. It seems DEQ has some very lax rules for use of this stuff on golf courses. Can something be done in Richmond to correct this?

Paul,

I certainly do support ocean- and wind-based energy production rather than drilling for oil on Virginia’s continental shelf. Today, the majority party in the House of Delegates strongly supports drilling for oil. Their support for renewable energy is lukewarm. In a nutshell, they say Virginia’s top priority should be maximum exploitation of fossil fuels - oil, gas and coal - with renewables being a nice to have energy source that does not merit state incentives for development. This is why citizens concerned about the environment need to redouble their efforts to educate their representatives in the General Assembly on the need for and opportunities in renewable energy.

Joe

Christine,

Very important question. I do expect the Wise County coal plant to be built because it has been successful in bulldozing its way through the permitting process at record speed.
Will it operate for its lifetime without regard to carbon dioxide? Unfortunately, it may unless Federal policy makes it uneconomical to continue operating a coal plant emitting carbon dioxide. The Wise County plant claims to be a “clean coal” plant because it will be “compatible” with carbon capture and storage technology. That is meaningless; every fossil fuel plant can make this claim. The problem is carbon capture and storage has never been tested on a commercial scale and the owners of the Wise County plant are under no obligation to adopt it if they think the cost will be too high or cut too deeply into their profits. Only a national cap and trade system will force their hand.

Joe

Bill,

As the largest electrical utility in Virginia, Dominion Power certainly exercises great influence on state policy; but the state’s regulatory agencies really have not given Dominion a free pass. Dominion does have to comply with Federal emission standards. Any fault at the state level lies with the General Assembly, which long has been very reluctant to enact prudent environmental policies that are badly needed to protect the citizens of the Commonwealth on the grounds that doing so would force up electricity rates. The Climate Change Commission has made a number of recommendations that would greatly reduce carbon emissions without harming Virginia’s economy. Watch for the final report on the Commission’s web site. It should be posted soon, maybe by the end of the week. You can I help by keeping informed on these issues, vigorously expressing your opinion at every opportunity, and making sure the elected officials who represent you will be held accountable for their votes on environmental and climate change policy.

Joe

Jayme,

The first question that needs to be asked is, “Is the current voluntary Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) set high enough?” If it is and the electrical utilities can meet those standards voluntarily, then there is no need for mandatory RPS and shifting to mandatory RPS would not encourage swifter action on developing renewable energy sources. The Climate Change Commission recommended increasing the voluntary RPS from 12% by 2022 to 15% by 2025. Do you think that is high enough? We all need to closely monitor the electrical utilities’ performance to ensure they follow through. If they fail to sustain an effective program to meet the RPS, then mandatory RPS should be considered if alternative measures, such as a national cap and trade system, are not already in place.

Joe

Ann Marie,

Accumulation of fly ash is an unavoidable consequence of burning coal, which makes one wonder what coal advocates mean by “clean coal.” Electrical utilities all over the nation have tried to find ways to recycle it. Unfortunately, fly ash contains all sorts of toxic chemicals, like mercury, that are very expensive to remove. With 20-20 hindsight, the City of Chesapeake and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality obviously made a serious mistake in approving use of fly ash in constructing a golf course – even if their decision was in full compliance with the law. Fly ash was addressed in the last session of the General Assembly, but no progress was made in protecting the citizens of the Commonwealth from inappropriate use of fly ash. I hope we will be able to do better in the future; but I encourage concerned citizens to keep the heat on their elected officials.

Joe

Linda,

I am confident that Governor Kaine will actively support the Commission’s recommendations. He has stated that 2009 will be the year for addressing climate change in Virginia. I think the Virginia Senate will be receptive; but he will face serious hurdles in the House of Delegates. The majority party in the House refuses to let the words “climate change” or “greenhouse gases” appear in the Code of Virginia. I think proposals that clearly support economic growth, like promoting renewable energy industries, will fare well. But Commission recommendations opposed by fossil fuel advocates will be strongly opposed.

Joe

Brendan,

You are absolutely correct that the Minerals Management Service (MMS) proposal for oil and gas leases off the coast of Virginia goes far beyond the scope of what Virginia supported in the Virginia Energy Plan, a policy stated in the Code of Virginia. Unfortunately, MMS has a consistent track record of ignoring everyone except the oil and gas lobbyists who supply their free narcotics and sex. I strongly urge Governor Kaine to clearly and unequivocally remind MMS of what Virginia’s policy really is. Fortunately, when carried out in accordance with the law the lease process takes years – and the Bush Administration won’t be around to short circuit that process for the oil industry – so Virginia and neighboring states have ample opportunity to make sure leasing decisions take full account of the concerns raised by the coastal states that would be affected by offshore drilling.

Joe

Miles,

The climate commission’s recommendations that have the best chance of getting through the Republican-controlled House are those that would contribute to economic development in Virginia without requiring large amounts of taxpayer dollars, such as providing tax incentives for development of renewable energy. Building energy efficiency standards also may have a chance because they save taxpayers a lot over the life of a building. The recommendations that have the least chance are those that are perceived as potentially driving up the cost of electricity or hurting employment in the coal industry. As a Freshman in the House, I’m not a good source for insight on which members of the House could be key swing votes. Additionally, many of the Commissions recommendations were not addressed in the last session, so key House members don’t have a voting record to go by. My advice is for concerned citizens to inform their elected representatives of their opinions on climate change legislation – this is what Senators and Delegates respond to. We find swing votes in the House we didn’t know existed.

Joe

Wow! Thanks, Joe! So much info for us to chew over. Good luck in 2009 and we’ll keep in touch. Thanks so much again.

Eileen

I guess my question didn’t matter?

Thanks, Del. Bouchard!

We’ll have to get Del. Bouchard back sometime. That hour went fast! He had to dash off to his daughter’s band concert. He didn’t get to mine or Tyla’s concert either.

Reid,

I’m sorry I did not get to your question. I had to rush off to a band concert at my daughter’s school, so didn’t get to all the questions.

I must confess that I am not familiar with the “Creation care” effort to unite people of faith with Environmental progressives. It certainly sounds as if the “greening of religion” movement is consistent with my own understanding of Genesis 1:27-29. I make no claim to being a theologian or being capable of teaching God’s word to others, but I am sure that God did not place Man in dominion over the earth to defile it. Man, created in His image, was given sovereignty over God’s creation, earth, to nurture and protect as Man’s expression faith in God’s infinite love for all His children for all future generations to come. For Man to usurp God’s will by claiming Earth and its plant and animal life as Man’s own to exploit and destroy in pursuit of earthly pleasures and rewards strikes me as a fundamental distortion of God’s word.

I also believe that this view of Man’s relation with Earth is found in all the major religions. My Grandfather was a member of the Kootenai-Salish tribe and I can remember him describing the profound respect for nature in their religious beliefs. I have travelled in and lived in countries all over the world, and studied more than a few foreign languages. I studied Buddhism under a Buddhist priest at a temple in Japan and Islam under an Imam at the Islamic Cultural Center in Washington, DC. Although I was motivated by a desire to understand other cultures and societies, I also learned that there is a common thread of belief that the Earth is God’s creation and should be respected as such. Unfortunately, I also saw that this fundamental truth can be quickly forgotten in all societies as the pursuit of wealth, pleasure and power comes to dominate human existence.

I welcome the active participation of all – whether or not they are persons of faith – who believe as I do that our beautiful Earth should be protected and, where it has been defiled by human negligence, restored to its natural state of beauty. The recognition that is needed is that this does not preclude economic security and a good quality of life. Indeed, many of the most important actions we need to protect and restore the environment actually enhance our economic security and quality of life. Conversely, as we are learning the hard way, wanton exploitation and destruction of the environment does not guarantee either economic security or a good quality of life. I think this reasonable grounds for persons of diverse beliefs to come together to protect and restore the environment for all our children and generations to come.

Joe

P.S. Now you know why I did not have time to answer your question during the live blog.

Joe,

Thanks very much for the time and consideration you have given to answering these important questions. I remain optimistic that the General Assembly will make progress on these issues, and I’ll do my part to urge them along that path.

Paul

Thanks Joe, I appreciate your answer. I also respect your answer. In seeking common ground being good stewards of that which God has entrusted us is a very good beginning point whereby Conservatives and Liberals (or “Progressives”) might work together for the benefit of everyone.

I have learned that in working together people can often overcome political polarization and campaign-driven vitriol. Once neighbors begin to appreciate the good works of those within their neighborhood that they might not otherwise interact with, amazing progress can be made towards unity and accomplishing important change. But for this to happen requires a foundation of mutual respect.

In my humble opinion there is far too much demonization and inflammatory rhetoric thrown about by grassroots activists seeking to rally the troops and vilify their “opponents”.

In my church parking lot on any given Sunday the back bumpers display Obama stickers, McCain stickers, and even my lone Bob Barr sticker! Yet in spite of our political affiliations we all work together to achieve the good works of our church. This is because we all recognize, honor, and respect each other as children of God and as members within the same Body of Christ.

Conservatives believe in conservation. Christians believe in being good Stewards o fthe Earth and caring for those fellow humans living around us in need.

Progressives believe in protecting the environment from exploitation.

Obviously there is an opportunity in this shared belief and commitment.

The question left unanswered is this; are we willing to try to get beyond the political demonization to work together for a better future?

Joe,
I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to respond to all these questions with such thoughtful and informative replies! What a great format. Thanks again!