After reading the article by Emmett Hanger, “Addressing safety, environmental concerns on pipeline projects,” I would like to express my agreement for his comments regarding concerns about the path of the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley Pipelines, including significant environmental and safety concerns.
Another issue that must be addressed is the continuation of carbon released from burning any fossil fuel (including biofuels).
Mr. Hanger needs to support measures that will deter changes in our climate that will have a deleterious effect on the ecosystems that we all rely on. Burning of fossil fuels increases the carbon in the atmosphere, thereby creating the changes we are just beginning to experience in our weather patterns. We all should look for ways to decrease these carbon releases. Using more clean alternative energy sources, such as solar or wind give some hope for the near future, but we must also find ways to transition by decreasing industrial and institutional carbon burning sources.
The Virginia General Assembly needs to legislate on the draft regulations, which are already approved by the State Air Pollution Control Board, to cap carbon emissions as The Virginia Alternative Energy & Coastal Protection Act of 2018. Our state senator, Emmett Hanger, has advocated renewable energy such as solar. We should each contact Emmett Hanger ([email protected]) to pass this important legislation for the future of our state and join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The revenue could help with funding to find solutions to address already increasing flood events, invest in clean energy, stimulate job growth in southwest Virginia, promote our health with fewer particulates and cleaner air. There are many reasons to work for cleaner air and we should contact our public officials to make progress in Virginia.
Letter from Rebecca Lowrance, McGaheysville
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