Climate crisis panel discussion set for March 20 in Harrisonburg

A recent report to the United Nations from the world’s leading climate scientists indicates that the humanitarian crisis and scale of ecological devastation to come has seen no precedent in human history. It also says the scale of needed intervention requires an unprecedented, united will and effort. Are we up for it?

To look at current efforts and next steps, the Climate Action Alliance of the Valley (CAAV) has invited three regional experts involved in Virginia’s climate legislative initiatives to discuss what is needed to turn the tide. The program, “Wake Up Virginia!!! Mobilizing for Our Climate Crisis”, is Wednesday, March 20, 7PM to 8:30PM at the Rockingham County Administration Center in Harrisonburg. The panel will explore efforts now underway and possibilities, including those promised by a Green New Deal. They will also suggest concrete actions for audience members, which will later appear on climateactionallianceofthevalley.org, CAAV’s website.

The program will feature three speakers including Karen Campblin of Fairfax, Co-Chair of the Green New Deal Virginia Coalition and Environmental and Climate Justice Chair for the NAACP’s Virginia chapter. Green New Deal Virginia’s co-founder, Delegate Sam Rasoul of Roanoke, says that environmental, economic and social justice cannot be separated. A Green New Deal, he believes, would give Virginia a way to greatly reduce poverty and bring economic prosperity by “creating tens of thousands of good paying jobs in clean energy”.

The March 20th program also features Richmond resident Bob Shippee, Legislative Chair of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter. As Legislative Chair, he tracks legislation, does lobbying, leads the chapter’s legislative committee and collaborates with them to develop position papers. Sierra Club is the largest grassroots environmental organization in the country.

Also featured is April Moore of Shenandoah County, a board member of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN). She is also on CAAV’s speakers’ bureau. Moore has a long-running blogsite, www.theEarthConnection.org, that offers “to nourish and inspire people who love the earth.”

CCAN’s website says, since its founding in 2002, its major successes include cleanup of coal-related mercury in Wise County, cleanup of three dump sites of coal ash in Maryland, an anti-fracking law and strong carbon cap in Maryland, and the groundbreaking Clean Energy DC Act of 2018 in Washington D.C., the strongest climate law in the country.

Co-sponsors are the Shenandoah Group of the Sierra Club and the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

The program “Wake Up Virginia!!! Mobilizing for Our Climate Crisis” will happen on Wednesday, March 20, 7PM to 8:30PM, in the Community Room of the Rockingham County Administration Center, 20 East Gay Street, Harrisonburg. Admission is free, and door prizes will be awarded. For more information contact Karen Lee at 540-820-1219 or [email protected].