On Thursday, May 20, the Sierra Club will be hosting a special benefit event for “Hands Across the Sand”. Join us 6-8pm at Croc’s 19th Street Bistro in Virginia Beach. Tickets are $30/single and $50/couple. Click here to RSVP and pay at the door or purchase online.

Proceeds from this benefit reception will help us promote HANDS ACROSS THE SAND, a protest rally against Virginia offshore drilling. On Sat., June 26, starting at 11am, join Sierra Club, Surfrider Foundation, and Oceana in lining up along the shoreline along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront between 19th and 31st Streets and lock hands for 15 minutes in protest to offshore drilling. For more information and to sign up, go to HandsAcrossTheSand.com.

Sierra Club’s York River Group and Hampton Roads Cool Communities Coalition invite you to attend a Climate Change Forum on Wednesday, May 19, 7:00 to 8:30pm at Sandy Bottom Nature Park, 1255 Big Bethel Road, Hampton, VA. (map)

This forum will discuss what our local communities are doing to reduce carbon emissions, and create more resilient communities, transitioning us toward a more sustainable world.

Forum panelists will include representatives from: Hampton, Gloucester, James City County, New Kent County, Newport News, Poquoson, Williamsburg, York County, and the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission.

Providing information on the Virginia Municipal League’s Go Green Government Challenge is Denise Thompson, Manager of Environmental Protection Programs in the City of Norfolk.

Contacts: Randie Trestrail, randiesue@gmail.com, 757-868-7044 or Tyla Matteson, tmatteson1@mindspring.com, 804-275-6476.

What’s at risk and what are the risks should offshore drilling be expanded to Virginia? Join us as we go deep-sea diving for the answers.

Presenters: Eileen Levandoski, Sierra Club; J.R. Tolbert, Environment Virginia; Dr. Carl Hobbs, Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)

For more info and to RSVP, call 757-277-8537.

The James City County Citizens’ Coalition (J4C) is sponsoring a forum entitled “Sea Level Rise: What it means to the Historic Triangle” on Tues., Dec. 1, 4-6pm at Building C, Government Complex, 101 Mounts Bay Road in Williamsburg. The speakers include the following:

Global Warming & Sea Level Rise, Dr. Terence Elkins, J4C

Coming soon - A Storm Tide Operational Forecast System at Jamestown, Dr. John Brubaker, VIMS

Climate Change in Coastal Virginia, Skip Stiles, Wetlands Watch

Government Policy Recommendations, Mark Callazzo, Old Dominion University

Question/Answer Session, Moderator: Terence Elkins

The forum is free and open to the public. Contact Terry Elkins at tjelkins@cox.net or Sarah Kadec at skadec@verizon.net for additional information.

From Hampton’s Councilman Randy Gilliland, also lead organizer with the Peninsula’s Green Drinks and Chairman of Green Economic Alliance and Green Jobs Alliance:

There is $75 million available for our region from the Department of Energy EECBG grants. The purpose is to fund job creation, economic growth, and energy efficiency improvements.

Securing the funding will require support and cooperation from commercial contractors, realtors, homebuilders, local development officials, commercial property owners, and manufacturing.

Come Tuesday to find out more about this tremendous opportunity for Hampton Roads, and what you can do to help.

That Tues., Nov. 24, 5:30-9:00pm at Marker 20, 21 East Queens Way, in Hampton.

Please join us tomorrow, Wednesday, November 4th @ 7:30 at the Naro Extended Cinema in Norfolk for a crucially important documentary regarding overfishing and the effects it has on our fisheries and coastal communities.

Please join us at the Naro Cinemas (located in the Ghent section of Norfolk)  for No Impact Man tomorrow night, Wednesday, October 28th @ 7:30. http://narocinema.com/