Attention Animal Welfare League of Arlington Supporters: We Need Your Voice Now!
Definitely worth passing along, as these people do great work for animals.
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Video, Statement: 30+ Virginia Ministers Call on Gov. McAuliffe to Act on Climate
The speakers in the video, from earlier today in Richmond are, from left to right: Rev. David Bailey, Worship Pastor, Making a Melody and East End Fellowship; Alexei Laushkin, Vice President of the Evangelical Environmental Network; and local Virginia minister Shawn Eubank of Creation Care.
Virginia Secretary of the Commonwealth Levar Stoney was also in attendance to receive the signed bible and letter from the ministers. It’s great to see religious leaders increasingly stepping up to the challenge of environmental protection at a time when it’s desperately needed, due to mankind’s almost complete failure to be “good stewards” over “creation.” For more, see the Creation Care blog by Alexei Laushkin, Vice President of the Evangelical Environmental Network.
More Than 30 Virginia Pastors Call on Gov. McAuliffe to Protect Health, Grow Economy by Acting on Climate Change
Faith Leaders Call Action on Climate a “Moral Responsibility” – Urge Governor to Implement New Commonsense Limits on Harmful Carbon Pollution
Richmond, VA. – Over 30 Evangelical ministers today called on Governor Terry McAuliffe’s administration to develop a strong plan to protect Virginia’s health and economy by limiting the harmful carbon pollution that causes climate change.
At a prayer breakfast at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Richmond, the ministers urged the Governor to take commonsense measures that reduce pollution and clean up Virginia’s waterways for the sake of future generations. The ministers presented the McAuliffe administration with a signed bible and statement urging the Governor to implement new federal limits on carbon emissions from power plants set forth in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan.
“There is no time to delay, as the health and well-being of our children is already being affected,” said Rev. David Bailey, Worship Pastor, Making a Melody and East End Fellowship. “We must come together to protect God’s creation from climate change and its damaging effects on our health and economy. We urge the Governor to step forward and implement the new EPA standards to safeguard our future.”
As faith leaders, the ministers emphasized that they have a moral responsibility to Virginia’s children and future generations to do everything possible to limit carbon pollution and protect the state’s waterways. As pro-life evangelical Christians and people of faith, the protection of children, the unborn, and those yet to be born is at the heart of who they are-and, as such, they believe climate change and clean waterways should be non-partisan issues.
“We are called to be good stewards of God’s world. It’s time we lived up to our obligations for the sake of our children and future generations,” said Rev. Charlotte Keys of Jesus People Against Pollution.
Video: Bob Marshall Rants Against Women’s Health Clinics; Atif Qarni, Brian Devine Speak in Support
The following video is from the Manassas City Council meeting on Monday, March 16, in which dozens of speakers expressed their opinions about zoning requirements for women’s health and reproductive clinics in Manassas City. Among the speakers was our old friend Del. “Sideshow Bob” Marshall (R-Manassas), who claimed that women’s health and reproductive clinics should be treated more harshly than other medical facilities, because “no other business routinely leaves half of the persons who enter the premises unable to leave.” Marshall also claimed that harassment of women’s health clinics by anti-abortion protestors reflects “established rights and legitimate concerns of communities,” and justifies regulating women’s health clinics more strictly. Seriously. Yeah, I know, the guy’s an extremist, but still…
For his part, Democratic State Senate candidate Atif Qarni, who barely lost an election to “Sideshow Bob” in 2013, argued (correctly) that blatantly “attack[ing] women’s health clinics and “suppress women’s rights” is “not good for business.” Instead, Qarni asserted (again correctly) that Manassas City should be working to create an open and welcoming culture of the city.”
P.S. See the “flip” for video of Progress Virginia’s Brian Devine, who argued that the “current zoning update is still an attack on women’s health, same as it was in January of last year.” Devine further argued that singling out women’s health clinics for stricter zoning treatment is “discriminatory towards women’s health centers that provide crucial preventitive care, birth control, STD and cancer screenings, and safe and legal abortion.” Devine urged that “Manassas zoning regulations be based on science and prioritize medicine over politics,” but sadly, “today they still are not.”
Virginia Needs a New Department of Environmental Quality Director. Immediately.
You know how, at least in theory, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is supposed to protect the quality of the environment? Well, in the case of Virginia, theory does not apparently translate into reality, at least not in the case of Virginia DEQ Director David K. Paylor (originally appointed by Tim Kaine in 2006, reappointed by Bob McDonnell and Terry McAuliffe). On the “flip” of this post, see the testimony he’s delivering today to Congress on coal ash. But first, here’s a bit of background on the draft bill Paylor is testifying about.
The bill, “Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015,” is authored by Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), a diehard defender of the coal industry, who says that “attacks on coal from Washington must be stopped.” He adds that [e]xploration and aggressive drilling” for coal and other fossil fuels “should be permitted without further delay.” He has a pathetic 8% lifetime environmental rating from the LCV, and in 2014, he actually received a “Champion of Coal Ash Award” “for his work in Congress to protect and promote the use of coal ash and stop the EPA from labeling it as a hazardous material.” Seriously. I’m not joking. There’s actually such a thing as a “Champion of Coal Ash Award,” and this fossil fuel shill received it! Now, he’s put in a bill to weaken coal ash regulations, no doubt in the hopes of winning another one of those shiny Champion of Coal Ash awards! LOL
Seriously, though, this is almost beyond parody of how our government is “captured” by corporate interests, in this case polluters, who have their puppet politicians spewing their propaganda for them in the halls of Congress. So what would this particular bill do? According to a letter sent yesterday by 126 public interest groups, private and concerned citizens, it would:
*DELAY the rule’s new health and safety protections- potentially for up to 10 years”
*WEAKEN the rule’s mandate to close inactive (contaminated and abandoned) ponds by
extending the deadline for closure, allowing these legacy ponds to operate without safeguards for at least 6 years; ELIMINATE the rule’s guarantee of public access to information and public participation;
*ELIMINATE the rule’s ban on storing and dumping coal ash in drinking water;
*REMOVE the rule’s national standard for drinking water protection and cleanup of coal ash-contaminated sites;
*REMOVE the rule’s national minimum standard for protection of health and the environment and allow state programs to eliminate critical safety requirements;
*PROHIBIT effective federal oversight of state programs; and
*PROHIBIT EPA enforcement of state program requirements unless invited by a state.
Yeah, it’s that bad.
Oh, and here’s what environmental group Appalachian Voices had to say about Paylor’s testimony today, in support of this “Champion of Coal Ash” award winner’s bill (see the “flip”).
In no way is this bill an “improvement” of the new federal rule for coal ash disposal. In fact, it completely strips away health standards and public access to information, leaving citizens in the dark and vulnerable to ongoing health hazards.
It’s beyond belief that the head of the agency charged with protecting Virginia’s environment and public welfare is up there in D.C. supporting it.
There are people whose health is already compromised likely due to decades of coal ash pollution, yet David Paylor is supporting this bill that would shelter industry interests from accountability. As a former agency regulator myself, I can tell you this goes completely against the grain of what a public servant should do.
In sum, David K.Paylor – theoretically in charge of protecting our state’s environment – is putting Virginia on record, officially, as supporting a Republican bill to weaken the EPA’s new coal ash standards, which the environmental community already considers too weak. As the headline of this post states, Virginia needs a new DEQ Director. Immediately.
Testimony
“EPA’s 2014 Final Rule: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals from Electric Utilities”
Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy
Committee on Energy and Commerce
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
by David K. Paylor, Director
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and Past President, Environmental Council of the StatesMain Points
1. The draft bill promotes the beneficial reuse of coal combustion residuals (CCR) as nonhazardous waste, consistent with ECOS’ longstanding resolution on this subject.2. The draft bill amends Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to allow states to regulate coal ash management and disposal under a set of federal standards created directly by Congress and implemented by the states. This
recognizes that states are in the best position to regulate CCR units, but also properly empowers the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to serve as a backstop and run programs for states in certain circumstances.3. The draft bill includes important provisions for multi-state coordination, provides reasonable timeframes for state program amendment to include new requirements, and closes enforcement gaps left by EPA’s final rule while clearly preserving citizen suits.
Chairman Shimkus, Raking Member Tonko, and Members of the Subcommittee, good morning. My name is David Paylor, and I am Director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. I appreciate the opportunity to share with you Virginia’s views on the draft bill. I am also representing the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), whose members are the leaders of the state and territorial environmental protection agencies. I am a Past President of ECOS and serve as President of ECOS’ research division, the Environmental Research Institute of the States.
ECOS’ CCR History. Many state regulators like me have first-hand experience with the devastating results of CCR impoundment engineering failures. Breaches and releases devastate people’s lives, destroy property, and contaminate natural resources in often irreparable ways.
For this reason, ECOS has worked on the CCR issue for many years. ECOS’ resolution on CCR regulation was first passed in 2008 and reaffirmed in 2013. ECOS testified in April 2013 before the Subcommittee on Environment and the Economy in support legislation to amend RCRA to create a defensible and strong CCR program that could be run by states. After EPA signed a final CCR rule in December 2014, ECOS testified before this Subcommittee in January, supporting the final rule’s technical requirements but stating that legislation to amend RCRA was still needed to address limitations and weaknesses in the final rule that are result from the statute’s current structure. These limitations were that:
the final rule creates a dual federal and state regulatory system that will be confusing and resource intensive, because EPA is unable under RCRA Subtitle D to delegate the CCR program directly to the states in lieu of the federal program;
the final rule’s schedules would require states to achieve final Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) amendment on an aggressive schedule which could not be met by many states; furthermore, it is unlikely that EPA has the resources to conduct a timely review and approval of state plans; and
the final rule’s self-implementing approach would make RCRA citizen suits the primary enforcement vehicle for CCRs under the final rule, marginalizing the role of state regulation, oversight, and enforcement; thus creating uncertainty for the regulated community and state regulators with respect to how compliance and enforcement activities will be managed.
ECOS has reviewed the draft bill, and find that it positively addresses the concerns identified by ECOS in our January testimony. The draft bill leverages and codifies the extensive technical work in EPA’s final rule, which will enhance impoundment structural integrity provisions, promote transparency, and close environmentally degrading facilities.
State CCR Programs. The draft bill provides that states may adopt, implement, and enforce CCR programs, and provides that Governors shall notify EPA of the state’s intentions to do so within six months of the bill’s enactment. The draft bill would give state environmental agencies like mine 24 months to certify to EPA that our CCR program meets the bill’s requirements, with a 12 month extension if needed. This would provide most states with existing CCR programs ample time to pursue the necessary state legislative and rulemaking processes to conform our programs to the new requirements. In Virginia, for example, our regulatory process can take up to 2 – 3 years, thus it is important to build in flexible certification deadlines. This is especially true in Virginia, as may be the case in other states, because there are dual authorities and agencies responsible for the operation of surface impoundments. Dam 4 safety requirements fall under the authority of Virginia’s Department of Conservation and Recreation. Therefore Virginia would likely have two concurrent regulatory actions proceeding to enact the new requirements.
The draft bill provides that in their requests for certification to EPA, states would describe their programs for inspection, enforcement, public participation, groundwater monitoring, stability assessment, emergency plans, dust control, closure notifications, and corrective action. The state would also have to describe any definitional differences, demonstrate sufficient statutes and regulations are in place, and maintain appropriate approved RCRA hazardous waste programs.
The draft bill importantly provides that state program can be more stringent or broader in scope, which is important. For example, Virginia already has the authority under the Waste Management Act to require a solid waste permit for the operation of a coal ash management facility, including activities related to post closure and corrective action.
Preapproval of Existing State CCR Programs. The draft bill contains an important provision that allows states that already have an existing program to begin using it right away. This is important because many states already have existing programs, and EPA modeled its final rule on the best of those programs. A recent survey of states by the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (ASTSWMO) indicated that 36 states, including Virginia, have permitting programs for disposal activities with 94% of those requiring groundwater monitoring.
Impacts Beyond State Lines. The draft bill contains an important requirement for states to submit as part of their certifications a plan for coordination among states in the event of a release that crosses state lines. This type of upfront planning is relevant – and would be helpful 5 in Virginia particularly – where the recent Dan River release in North Carolina impacted nearly 50 miles of Virginia waterways.
Federal Backstop. The draft bill provides that EPA will operate the CCR program for a state that cannot demonstrate a sufficient program or for a state that chooses not to run such a program itself – as well as a process for a state to assume these functions after remedying a deficient program or choosing to begin a program. These provisions should give assurances to the public that states and the federal EPA are both empowered to act Industry Requirements. The draft bill includes robust requirements for the industry permit applications, provides for public information availability, and state access to facilities.
The bill incorporates the new robust technical, siting, financial assurance, run-on and run-off controls, recordkeeping, and structural integrity requirements published by EPA in the final CCR rule, which will be codified at 40 CFR Part 257. EPA did a very good job developing the technical requirements of the final CCR rule, modeling many of the final requirements on existing effective and stringent state programs. At the same time, we value the flexibility the draft bill adds that will allow states to identify alternative points of compliance for monitoring, alternative groundwater protection standards, remediation flexibility, and to allow unlined impoundments to operate for a period of time providing there are no groundwater threats and the structural integrity of impoundment berms is maintained.
We recognize that the final EPA regulations were “self-implementing,” meaning that industry would be expected to move ahead with implementation regardless of any state or federal agency action. The only way the self-implementing rule would be enforced would be through citizen suits, state action, or federal action. The draft bill sets out a three to four year process for compliance by the facilities. While this may seem like unnecessary delay, it recognizes implementation realities and still allows action in any emergency situations and provides a process for expedited facility closure where necessary.
Coal Ash is Non-Hazardous. The legislation supports beneficial uses of coal ash, such as in concrete, road bed fill, wallboard, and other uses. Beneficial reuse of coal ash is consistent with ECOS’ longstanding resolution, appended to my testimony.
Conclusion. Mr. Chairman, Mr. Ranking Member, and Members of the Subcommittee, I thank you for the opportunity to present my views, and those of ECOS, to you today. I am happy to answer any questions.
Virginia News Headlines: Wednesday Morning
Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Wednesday, March 18.
*Netanyahu sweeps to victory in Israeli election (What a debacle.)
*What Benjamin Netanyahu and Mitt Romney Have in Common (“Bibi’s desperate, last-minute election ploy has a US connection”)
*The House GOP budget is a gimmick (“What Republicans have done with their budget is no less fantastic: They have employed lucky charms and mystical pots of gold to make them appear more sober about balancing the budget than they actually are.”)
*The GOP’s fiscal phonies (“In the face of these challenges, the majority-Republican House has produced a budget blueprint that serves no particular purpose except to demonstrate the inadequacy of pure, no-tax-increases GOP policy doctrine.”)
*Obama finally understands political polarization. Does Hillary? (David Roberts nails it yet again.)
*The House Republican budget departs from both economic and political reality (Like the Republican Party in general!)
*NPR ombudsman equivocates over equivalence story on climate-change fight (Until NPR improves its reporting on climate change, I urge everyone not to give them a penny. No equivocation here, what we’re getting from NPR on this crucial topic is utterly unacceptable.)
*Barack Obama’s green gambit (“The president is pushing for a global climate change accord that could seal his environmental legacy.”)
*Aaron Schock resigns after new questions about mileage expenses
*Largest Presbyterian Denomination Gives Final Approval for Same-Sex Marriage
*Schapiro: What if Dominion’s money wasn’t flooding the system? (Scott Surovell: “Nah. I think it would be very unlikely they could pull it off without contributing. There are few industries that get any bills through that don’t contribute. That’s the way the majority operates.”)
*Details On Virginia’s Execution Methods Remain Secret, But Debate Survives
*Va. GOP hails new finance chairman Pete Snyder (Snyder will fit in well with the other right-wing extremists in the Virginia GOP.)
*McCoy: The custodians of the Mountain Valley Pipeline (“…a company’s promise to be good stewards of the land and be responsible custodians, of a project as large and potentially hazardous as this pipeline, is only as good as its previous track record on environmental issues and its concern or lack thereof for wildlife conservation and habitat preservation”)
*Bill allowing renewable-power sales direct to N.C. consumers could be a boon for solar
*Jim Webb hires Iowa campaign coordinator
*How did Fairfax deputies kill a prisoner with a stun gun?
*Fairfax County executive says meals tax is needed to generate more revenue
*Deputy Va. Beach manager pitches $155M from state for light rail
*Stone brewery costs will exceed $23 million estimate
*Long Bridge Park pools, post-streetcar plans updated in Arlington
*Fallon picks up three legislative endorsements in Arlington board race
*A cold wind and threat of snow
remind us winter’s not over yet (“Temperatures sink after yesterday’s warmth, and we could see wet snow Friday”)
Video: Gerry Connolly Announces Winner of St. Patrick’s Day Straw Poll for President Is…
…Hillary Clinton, with 48% of the vote; Jim Webb 15%; Elizabeth Warren 10%; Bernie Sanders 7%; Joe Biden 6%; Martin O’Malley 6%; others 8%. Note that, according to Rep. Connolly, there were close to 1,000 people in attendance at his St. Patrick’s Day fete tonight. More video to follow…
Don Shaw Statement on Gun at Manassas Park Elementary Schools
MANASSAS PARK- Earlier today, InsideNova.com reported that two people were taken into custody after they were reported to be wielding a rifle in the vicinity of Cougar and Manassas Park elementary schools. The schools were immediately placed on lockdown, and buses departed the schools with police escorts. There were no injuries reported.
Don Shaw, the Democratic candidate for Delegate in Virginia’s 13th House District, released the following statement:
“As parents, when we drop our children off at school, the last thing we want to worry about is their safety. From Sandy Hook to Virginia Tech, we know that guns and schools should not mix. Only law enforcement officials should be able to carry firearms on school grounds.
However, Bob Marshall continues to introduce radical bills in the General Assembly that would expand the presence of guns on campuses, and would allow regular citizens to carry guns on school grounds. Bob Marshall’s policies are reckless and dangerous for Virginia’s children, which is why I am running for Delegate.”
Shaw also launched a petition urging supporters to tell Bob Marshall that guns do not belong in elementary schools. The petition can be found here: http://donshaw.ngpvanhost.com/…
Citations:
Bob Marshall answers that he would vote to allow concealed carry holders to have a gun on their person while on school grounds. (VCDL survey 2011)
Bob Marshall introduced HB91 in 2012, which would allow faculty members at state colleges and universities to carry concealed handguns.
###
Don Shaw is a 20-year veteran of the Army and Air Force, a former Department of Defense employee, and now works for a veteran-owned small business. Don first moved to Prince William in 1997. Don and his wife, Joyce, live in Gainesville with their three children, all of whom have either graduated from or attend Prince William County Public Schools.
April Moore Takes on Mark Obenshain: Text of the Announcement Speech
( – promoted by lowkell)
Today marked the official start of my campaign to unseat Mark Obenshain in the Virginia senate. At a press conference in Harrisonburg this morning, I told TV, radio, and newspaper reporters, and a roomful of supporters the following:
Not at all long ago, I’d have been astonished to think I’d be here announcing my candidacy for public office. But here I am.
The story behind this surprising development begins last year, when I became a grandmother for the first time. And then again for the second time.
I was already concerned about what the scientists have been telling us about climate change-that it is real and that it is urgent that we act now to address it.
But now I’ve got these two adorable little ones in my life, and it feels especially urgent. Because the scientists tell us that — if we don’t act responsibly — the consequences for them, and for all our children and grandchildren, could be terrible.
I can’t bear the thought of these innocents suffering because we were too blind, or too busy, or too corrupt to care.
I decided to look more closely at how our state of Virginia is dealing with this challenge. I was appalled by what I found. And what I found goes a lot deeper than our state’s failure to respond to the challenge of climate change. That failure is part of a larger picture: too many of our elected representatives are sacrificing the people to serve big powerful interests.
Did you know that the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity ranks Virginia 47th among the 50 states when it comes to government integrity! And in its corruption risk report card, issued to each state, Virginia earned a grade of F!
And our present state senator, Mark Obenshain, is right at the heart of that problem. And that’s why I’m running to replace him in the Virginia state Senate.
On many issues that impact average Virginians, too many of our legislators are doing the bidding of Dominion Power, not serving us, the people.
Dominion Power is, by far, the largest corporate donor to our legislators. Do you think that has anything to do with what just happened in the General Assembly: In this just-concluded session Mark Obenshain and others passed a bill — that had been drafted by Dominion itself — to exempt Dominion Power from rate regulation for the next five years.
Now, Dominion and the smooth-talking politicians who helped it say that this is to protect Dominion’s customers from rate hikes. But as an editorial in the Virginia Pilot said just this past Sunday, that claim just doesn’t pass the “smell test.” And the investment world on Wall Street knows who is served by this bill: they say it will beef up Dominion’s bottom line.
And guess at whose expense-millions of Virginians, including more than 37,000 households right here in our District, the citizens that Mr. Obenshain is supposed to be serving!
Now, let’s remember, Dominion Power is no ordinary company. It’s a monopoly that sells us a necessity. That’s the kind of company that everybody has known for generations needs to be regulated to protect the public from the company’s abusing their monopoly power out of unrestrained greed.
But this new legislation shows that justice has been turned on its head. Instead of having our representatives supervising this monopoly to protect the public interest, Dominion is able to tell our supposed representatives what it wants and it gets it.
Mr. Obenshain has shown us who it is that he’s representing – and it’s not the citizens whom this bill will hit in their pocketbooks. (Oh, and if the version of the bill that Mark Obenshain pushed had become law, things would be even worse.)
Government of the people but by and for the Big Money.
Is it any wonder, then, that Dominion also gets our legislators also to block responsible action to respond to the gathering problem of climate change?
Despite the fact that a majority of both Republicans and Democrats now believe that our government has a moral duty to confront the challenge of climate change, Mr. Obenshain voted against a measure that would have given the mighty fossil fuel companies, like Dominion, incentives to stop spewing out the gases that are destabilizing our climate.
Yes, Dominion Power seems to have achieved an extraordinary amount of dominion over the Old Dominion. Including over the Senate seat here in the 26th district.
But it doesn’t have to stay that way!
This isn’t a liberal issue or a conservative issue. It’s an issue of basic American values: Should our representatives represent US, the people, or the powerful special interests?
47th out of 50 states in government integrity! That is not acceptable to me. And I doubt it’s acceptable to the citizens of this District.
This District deserves to be represented by someone who is part of the solution to this problem, not someone who is committed to perpetuating the problem, as Mr. Obenshain has proved himself to be just in this last session.
With former Gov. McDonnell sentenced to prison, the problem of corruption was in the spotlight, giving Virginia an important opportunity to enact real reform to this corrupt system. A panel proposed some real reforms.
Instead, Mr. Obenshain and his allies passed a bill that was more of a gesture than a solution. They prefer to keep our corrupt status quo intact than to help give the people back the power over their own government.
Well, I think Virginians deserve better. We need a legislature
• that puts the people before big money,
• that functions honestly and openly, free of corruption,
• and that enacts real solutions to the climate crisis.
It is how we deal with these three issues that will do most to determine what kind of Virginia, what kind of America, and what kind of planet our grandchildren will inherit from us. On these three issues, I believe that the liberals and conservatives of our District can unite.
And Mark Obenshain is on the wrong side on all three of these issues.
That’s why I’m running for the state senate seat from this District.
If I’m elected,
• I will serve the people, not sacrifice them to serve big money.
• I will work for real ethics reform, so powerful interests can’t buy the people’s government.
• And I will work to ensure that we act responsibly, so that the heritage we pass onto our grandchildren includes a healthy, livable climate.
[PAUSE]
I understand that Mark Obenshain is a personable politician. But being personable is no substitute for being trustworthy. I believe that if the people of this district see the ways he has betrayed their trust, they will decide, as I have, that they deserve better.
So I offer myself to the people of this district, not just despite, but because, unlike Mark Obenshain, I don’t have political ambitions, and I am not plugged into big money.
I am running as the candidate who will look out for the people, for our democracy, and for the kind of healthy future we all want our grandchildren to have.
**************************
My campaign website can be seen here. The site is still under construction. But it already has a functioning donate option that everyone is welcome to try out! 🙂
Virginia Ranks #7 for “Criminal’s Choice” Due to Super-Weak Gun Laws
According to the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Virginia is one of the top places in the country for criminals looking for the “perfect getaway” due to the following “highlights”: 1) In Virginia, you can “get a gun with no background check;” 2) It’s “easy to get a permit to pack heat in public” in Virginia; 3) You can “buy guns in bulk and load up the van for a roadtrip” in Virginia; and 4) Virginia is a “great state for trafficking guns!” Wonderful, huh? For more, check out the video below as well as the Virginia page of crimadvisor.com.
DBL Investors: For States, More Renewable Energy Means Lower Power Prices
Another day, yet another strong piece of evidence that sticking with a fossil-fuel-heavy power generation portfolio isn’t just bad for the environment and for people’s health, it’s also bad for the bottom line. This time, it’s a study by DBL Investors, entitled “Renewables Are Driving Up Electricity Prices? WAIT, WHAT?” The key takeaway is as follows:
… states with the greatest share of electricity generation from renewable sources have often experienced average retail electricity prices that are cheaper than both the national average and also states with the smallest share of electricity generation from renewable sources.
In 2013, U.S. states generated electricity from renewable sources at a variety of different levels. And yet, as the graph below demonstrates, greater generation from renewables did not mean skyrocketing electricity prices. In fact, states generating more electricity from renewables often experienced average retail electricity prices well below states producing less electricity from renewables.
Or, as this article puts it, “states boasting robust green energy programs have the nation’s cheapest electricity,” and “trend lines suggest it’s only going to get better for their consumers.” Actually, switching to renewable energy at this point is basically a no-brainer, that is if you want an inexhaustible, clean, and increasingly cheap form of power for your state. Keep in mind that:
*The cost of wind power has decreased 58% over the past 5 years, and there’s no reason to think that improvements in wind technology and cost will end anytime in the foreseeable future.
*The cost of solar power has been plummeting, down 78% between 2009 and 2014, and that trend is highly likely to continue indefinitely, utlimately leading to the “singularity”, in which “solar power will be close to free in the coming decades.”
*As for natural gas, which some people foolishly want to lock us into for decades to come, it’s cheap right now, but that is highly unlikely to continue. Also, as this article notes, the price of natural gas is highly volatile, to the extent that it “can increase by a factor of six over the course of five years, then decrease by the same amount in four years.”
*Finally, of course, energy efficiency continues to be the cheapest form of energy that exists — far, far less expensive than a new coal-fired power plant, for instance, and without any of the environmental damage that comes with coal.
As always, the lesson here is that you shouldn’t believe anything the entrenched, “incumbent” fossil fuel companies try to tell you about renewable energy, as they’ve got it exactly backwards. Of course, as Upton Sinclair said, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” That certainly helps explain the disinformation coming out of the fossil fuel industry folks and their political allies. As for the rest of us, our futures depend on understanding that clean and cheap energy, not dirty and expensive fossil fuels, represent the future for our states, our country and the planet.
