Climate Action

A focus on the Commonwealth's equitable clean energy future

Contact

Ann Creasy Conservation Program Manager Phone: 757-513-2844 Email:ann.creasy@sierraclub.org

Climate Action Campaign #actonclimate

The Climate Action Campaign is a movement of Americans demanding that our elected representatives in Congress take action on climate change and protect our health over fossil fuel profits. Virginians are calling on our leaders to take immediate and decisive action, build the plans we need to cut carbon pollution today and champion solutions that rapidly move our energy system to clean, renewable energy. We are demonstrating our support for taking action in locally in the face of inaction at the federal level.

The power plants that produce electricity to drive our daily lives for over a century have also emitted carbon pollution that impacts the stability of our climate. Communities across America are already feeling severe impacts, with working-class people and people of color being hit hardest. Clean, renewable energy removes that impact while boosting local economies and providing thousands of reliable jobs. Virginians overwhelmingly support taking steps to cut carbon pollution through transitioning to clean energy. Communities are working together for our leaders to commit to bold solutions and ensure our health is valued above polluters’ profits.

Protecting Common-sense Standards

The Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act are the foundation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s work to protect our health and environment. Stripping us of these vital protections is a blatant attack on our health and safety, orchestrated by corporate polluters and dirty energy insiders. Under current leadership, the EPA continues to reverse the progress we have made to protect Americans from the dangers of climate change.  Reversing EPA standards that are designed to protect public health is a toxic agenda that puts Americans lives and our environment on the line. Protecting our health is non-negotiable

We know the EPA is going in the wrong direction when we see action like

• The rollback of the Clean Power Plan, the first ever plan in the United States to cut carbon pollution from power plans, sends us in the wrong direction on climate justice. The Clean Power Plan accelerates the transition to clean,renewable energy.

• The other major action reversing Clean Car standards will impact the quality of the air we breathe by setting back the standards for fuel efficiency, and costing up more at the pump. Richmond has one of the highest rates of asthma and this will only make the problem worse, hitting poor communities and people of color the hardest.