Local small-business leaders and residents of Hampton Roads gathered at Solar Services Inc. in Virginia Beach to learn more about the potential for expansion of their businesses and further job creation as a result of investment in a clean energy economy, as could be provided with passage of a strong American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act.

The event was organized by MoveOn and the local Sierra Club group. Participants also included a representative from Congressman Glenn Nye’s office. Hampton Roads citizens are calling on Senators Warner and Webb and Rep. Nye to pass a strong clean energy jobs bill.

As I pointed out in my remarks, the ACES Act presents an opportunity to not only clean up global warming pollution by holding polluters accountable, but to also simultaneously and very quickly drive a shift in U.S. energy production toward cleaner, cheaper sources, like wind and solar, which are key to solving both our environmental and economic crises.

More specifically we here in Hampton Roads stand to reap a tremendous amount of benefit with passage of a strong ACES Act with both its investment in renewable energy production and its curbing global warming pollution. Hampton Roads is blessed with ideal offshore wind energy potential. Meanwhile, of all the places in the U.S., the effects of climate change are felt hardest here in Hampton Roads with $ billions of our assets vulnerable to sea level rise and greater and greater storm surges battering our coast.

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The Chesapeake Bay group is very fortunate to have a new Outings Chairwoman, Chris Bryan!

And Chris has already lined up a number of hikes throughout the summer with the first being this Sunday, May 31st.

Truth be told, Chris moves faster in her outings planning than we can with our website updating!  Here’s info on the May 31st hike.  Check back here for more info on other summertime outings planned for both Southside and the Peninsula.

York River State Park

We will meet at the Virginia Beach Central Library Parking Lot at 1pm near the Virginia Beach Blvd side of the parking lot.  We will then drive one hour to York River State Park.  We will enjoy a 5-6 mile hike and we should be back at the Library by 6:00 pm, unless the group would like to stop for dinner on the way back.

York River State Park supplies an opportunity to experience the environment of a coastal estuary. This park is known for its rare and delicate environment, where freshwater and saltwater meet to create a habitat rich in marine and plant life. The main focus of the park is to preserve a portion of the York River frontage. York River State Park served as a role model for all of Virginia’s state parks in developing resource management plans. The park’s natural resources make it a significant place for environmental education at all levels.