Rep. Gerry Connolly nails it. The bottom line: we need to be massively REforesting, not burning forest for fuel!

May 19, 2015

The Honorable Gina McCarthy

Administrator

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Ariel Rios Building

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W

Washington, D.C. 20460

Dear Administrator McCarthy,

Thank you for your leadership and continued efforts to finalize the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan. As a strong supporter of this plan, I believe you have laid forth a forward-thinking, flexible, and attainable approach to reducing our nation’s carbon footprint. I appreciate your willingness throughout this process to consider public feedback on the draft plan and trust the final plan you develop will establish our country as a global leader on climate change.

I write to share my concern with the EPA’s draft proposal to treat waste-derived feedstocks and non-waste biogenic feedstocks derived from sustainable forest or agricultural practices as having zero emissions. As you know, following EPA Assistant Administrator McCabe’s November 2014 memorandum, there has been considerable debate regarding this decision, including questions surrounding the science behind it, and the perception that this decision will result in the unsustainable promotion of forest harvesting for energy production.

For example, in a February 9, 2015, letter to the EPA, more than 70 scientists highlight their concerns with this decision, including their view that it would actually increase emissions. They state, “Burning biomass instead of fossil fuels does not reduce the carbon emitted by power plants…ln fact, burning biomass degrades facility efficiency and increases day-to-day emissions over emissions when fossil fuels are burned alone.”

They go on to point out that “burning biomass that would otherwise continue to absorb and store carbon capture comes at the expense of reduced carbon storage.” In fact, numerous studies have found that it takes decades of forest regeneration to offset these emissions.

Furthermore, decisions we make domestically will unquestionably have an impact on the global community. For example, in advance of the upcoming United Nations Climate Conference in Paris, the U.S. has entered into important carbon emission reduction agreements with both China and India. We must be mindful that the EPA’s accounting rule pertaining to biomass could be applied globally and have a significant impact on decisions related to our world’s forests. According to the International Energy Agency, treating bioenergy as carbon free globally, coupled with strong carbon policies, would lead to reliance on woody biomass for 6% of electricity by 2035, and require more than doubling global commercial timber harvest.

As the McCabe Memo correctly notes, “The President’s Climate Action Plan highlights the critical role that America’s forests play in addressing carbon pollution in the United States by removing nearly 12 percent of the total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions each year from the atmosphere.” However, I worry the decision to treat biomass as carbon-neutral may have unintended consequences that could actually undermine and inhibit our ability to reduce carbon emissions.

I understand the Scientific Advisory Board Biogenic Carbon Emissions Panel is still reviewing the Framework for Assessing Biogenic CO2 Emissions from Stationary Sources. Until this review is finalized, I believe it is premature to classify biomass as a carbon-neutral compliance method under the Clean Power Plan. I thank you for taking these concerns under review.

Sincerely,

Gerald E. Connolly

Member of Congress

…or that renewable energy “can’t make it without subsidies,” or that “government shouldn’t pick ‘winners and losers,” or that fossil fuels are the “choice of the market,” or that the Clean Power Plan is “too expensive,” or some other utterly false nonsense, simply show them this article and laugh. By the way, those $5.3 trillion in subsidies for fossil fuels don’t count “negative externalities,” such as the enormous health (cancer, asthma, etc.) and environmental (acid rain, global warming, oil spills, fracking damage, etc.) costs associated with fossil fuels, but which fossil fuels don’t incorporate into their price thanks to extremely lax government policies. The $5.3 trillion in subsidies for fossil fuels also don’t count indirect subsidies, such as massive government subsidization/encouragement of automobile-oriented development, military expenditures needed to defend oil supply lines/sources, etc, etc. Add all that up, and it comes to many, many times more than $5.3 trillion, to the point where fossil fuels would be utterly noncompetitive (think $10-$20/gallon or more gasoline if all these costs were incorporated) with clean energy.

[Cross-posted from RVAPolitics]

Everyone who lives in Richmond knows the city will be hosting the UCI Road World Championships in September. Yes, I had never heard of it either. But the rest of the world — and cycling enthusiasts at home — have. Richmond2015 organizers expect almost half a million visitors to pour into Richmond for the nine-day event, and have been touring the city to spread the word. (My local civic association has had TWO visits from the local organizing group over the past year or so, and the race isn't even coming through our neighborhood.)

So local institutions are joining the effort, The city is of course a major backer, as are other local governments; businesses are signing up to sponsor. And now non-profit groups are getting involved, or at least getting into the spirit.

Which brings us to the Bermuda Hundred chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. (The chapter is named for a historic town in Chester, VA, just south of Richmond.) They want to welcome the visitors to our city with a “Flags over Richmond” campaign. So this probably means they want us to showcase our different nationalities and ethnicities by flying different — oh, wait, nope: just American flags. From their flyer:

We encourage individuals, families, schools, community groups, businesses, and localities to roll out the “Red, White and Blue,” and fly their American flags to welcome over 1000 of the world's best cyclists to our patriotic nation and to the historic greater Richmond area.

In an e-mail that accompanies the flyer, one of the group's volunteers notes that the DAR is “promoting the flying of American flags as a way to foster patriotism.”

This seems a little tone-deaf, if not outwardly antagonistic. Is this really the best time and means for “fostering patriotism”? We live in a world where anti-Americanism is still growing in countries from Egypt to Germany to Russia. (And even Canada!) And the DAR wants us to welcome visitors from other lands by… throwing our flag in their face?

Granted, it's not like they're asking Virginians to fly Confederate flags (we've had that problem before) or, like this Texas lawmaker, asking us to greet Muslims with Israeli flags (?!?). And I get that patriotism is what the DAR does: since we support our troops with American flags, and celebrate holidays with American flags, let's greet the UCI event with…. American flags! To the hammer, everything is a nail.

And to be fair, the flyer notes that, “We also encourage individuals from all nations to fly their flags as well.” But even that seems a little backhanded: does it mean that people who are celebrating their heritage or family homeland are not Americans?

Like many Southern cities, Richmond is in the midst of a transformation from a traditional past to a more uncertain future. So you can drive past Confederate flags at the VMFA before heading to Carytown or the Fan and seeing why the city lands on random most-tattooed lists. This DAR initiative may be an example of how older institutions try to adapt to new circumstances, and how their efforts sometimes fail.

Flying your country's flag is a nice way to support your country. But flying your country's flag in response to an influx of foreign visitors suggests you are afraid of what those visitors represent. The DAR may want to re-think this particular initiative; I don't think it sends the “welcome” message that the UCI's Richmond2015 organizers want.

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, May 19.

*The Republican field is a clown car (Not one of these clowns, extremists and/or bigots should be elected to any office, let alone president.)

*Obama drills a hole in his climate policy (“Here are two facts that cannot be reconciled: The planet has experienced the warmest January-through-April on record, and the Obama administration has authorized massive new oil drilling in the Arctic Ocean.” Truly appalling and inexcusable by the Obama administration.)

*In Egypt, Deplorable Death Sentences (Agreed.)

*America’s Views Align Surprisingly Well With Those of “Socialist” Bernie Sanders (Even the most “far left” Democrat is basically in sync with the majority of Americans. So much for the false “equivalence” that “both parties” are “extreme,” or whatever idiocy the corporate/right-wing media is pushing on us today.)

*Bill O’Reilly Accused of Domestic Violence in Custody Battle (Sadly, this would not be at all surprising…)

*Building Virginia’s transportation future through bipartisanship (I see none of the following words or phrases in this op-ed by Virginia Transportation Secretary Aubrey Lane: environment, climate change, smart growth, pollution, carbon emissions, sprawl. That counts as a #FAIL)

*Virginia Clinics Navigate Changing TRAP Law: ‘I Feel Like I’m Digging a Hole Just to Fill It Back In’

*Atlantic Coast Pipeline picks several alternate route segments

*PolitiFact: McMurtrie says Va. lawmakers shifted $2 billion from education to roads

*Light turnout expected during June primaries

*Numbers drop in Virginia Medicare/Medicaid pilot program

*Opinion: Virginia Supreme Court’s executive secretary should honor FOIA, transparency

*Governor Terry McAuliffe Lifts Ban on Food Truck Operations in Virginia

*Coalition of labor, immigrant groups flexing muscles in Va. local races

*Sweet Briar website collects resources to save college

*In the 10th state Senate district, the question may be: ‘Who’s the best Democrat?’

*At Public Square, Richmond officials say system creates too many felons

*In Portsmouth, two audits have been done and more are coming

*Portsmouth councilman acquitted of threatening pastor

*D.C. area forecast: Summery warmth and storms today, then cooler and drier

From Right Wing Watch, which listens to extremist rantings/ravings like these so we don’t have to:

Rep. Dave Brat, the Virginia Republican who unseated Rep. Eric Cantor last year thanks in large part to his uncompromising anti-immigrant politics, told talk radio host John Fredericks yesterday that a proposal to allow DREAM Act-eligible immigrants to enlist in the military represents the “decline of Western Civilization...I think everybody knows their old Roman history, part of the reason Rome fell was because they started hiring the barbarians in, otherwise known as the Germans at the time, to be troops in their own army, and that led to their eventual downfall.”

Brat also had a response to proponents of the measure who pointed out that being willing to serve in the U.S. military shows a certain level of patriotism: “I wanted to stand up and shout, I mean ISIS is willing to serve in our military as well.”

Yep, Brat is completely bonkers (not to mention racist), yet he was elected to Congress and undoubtedly will be reelected next year. Great job, 7th CD Republican voters!



Oh, and “Later in the conversation, Brat compared allowing undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children to serve in the military to requiring President Obama to hire Republicans to serve in the White House, a nonsensical comparison for a number of reasons, including that President Obama is in charge of both the military and the White House.” Ee gads.

Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, May 18. Also, nice photo by Fairfax County Democratic Commitee Chair Sue Langley of Fairfax County Public School Board members Ryan McElveen and Ted Velkoff, plus future (hopefully!) School Board member Dalia Palchik.

*Obama to Limit Military-Style Equipment for Police (Good, this is utterly ridiculous.)

*This Photo Is Raising Questions About How Police Are Treating White Bikers After A Mass Murder (“Several commentators have noted that it’s a remarkably casual treatment of individuals who could be potential suspects for mass murder. No one is handcuffed and several people appear to have access to their cell phones.”)

*9 Are Killed in Biker Gang Shootout in Waco (Ah, America…guns, violence, more guns and more violence.)

*Jeb Bush’s brotherly bind

*The GOP Is Dying Off. Literally. (Hopefully a new, better, sane GOP will be reborn.)

*The Koch Brothers’ guide to 2016: How to win $1 billion for your Republican candidacy (“Which GOP candidate has the best chance of pulling in the dark-money score of the century?”)

*Jeb’s bankrupt healthcare fantasy: Expanding coverage with Apple Watches and freedom (This dolt is supposed to be the SMART Bush? Ha!)

*Herring Makes Another Good Call (“As Herring has said in another instance, the attorney general represents the people of Virginia, not just agencies of the state.”)

*Stimpson hopes for Cantor repeat in toppling Howell (Right now, there’s little sign of that happening.)

*OB-GYN wants to be the fourth Stolle in public office

*Experts: Divided Portsmouth council needs counseling

*Shockoe proposal moves another step backward

*D.C. area forecast: Humid with storm chances today and Tuesday; drier, cooler mid-week