March 24 Rally Was a Success!

Hello, everyone! I am CCAN’s new campus organizer for Virginia, and I am very pleased to make your acquaintance. Since starting earlier this month, I have had a great time meeting with students from across the Commonwealth, petitioning, phonebanking (calling students can be incredibly entertaining sometimes), and helping plan for and staff events. Specifically, I am proud to have worked on March 24’s March to End Dominion’s Power Madness in Richmond!

On the morning of the March, I woke up to rain on the skylights, thinking “well, looks like there won’t be many people coming today.” In most cases, when you think of Richmond, VA and rain, you do not think of over 200 people listening to speakers, voicing their opinions, and generally enjoying themselves at a rally. 

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When "new" is "better"

Don’t get me wrong, “new” is not always better. For instance, I LOVE musical oldies but goodies. Ask around. Nothing gets me more jazzed than listening to a great Stevie Wonder hit or one of my old-school favorites from Marvin Gaye or the Temptations. Classical movies are some of the best that have ever been made. Chief on the list are “In the Heat of the Night” and “The Godfather Parts I & II” (see Part III for why “new” is not always better). In fashion, what once was popular two decades ago will most certainly become popular again in the decade to come.

The point that I’m trying to make is that there are times where I and many of you like to enjoy the greatness of years past and indulge on some of its fruits. In some areas like music, art, and culture, “old” may sometimes be “better”.

But when it comes to industrial, technological, or medical innovations, new is almost always better.

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For Rachel Carson

Water makes its way, through fields, hills and mountains
Water makes its way, it has its ups and downs
Water makes its way, it ends up in the oceans
Water makes its way, it really gets around.

I must make my way, no matter what life throws me
I must make my way, must do the best I can
I must make my way, my faith and hope they guide me
I must make my way, together we all must stand

 

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NOT IN MY BACKYARD!

 

Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Dawone Robinson, and I’m the new Virginia Policy Coordinator for CCAN. As of the moment that I write this blog, I have been in the state of Virginia for a mere 2 days and 22 hours. Having lived in Iowa most of my life, I was amazed by Virginia’s gorgeous scenery as I made my way to my new home. When I arrived, I stepped out of my car, looked around at the trees and beautiful terrain, and spent a few moments to soak it all in. I was beginning to fall in love with my new state of Virginia!

…

And then yesterday happened…

 

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Resolving to address Hampton Roads sea level rise

Tidal flooding in Norfolk. ( Eric Levy, NewsChannel 3 )

 

Hopefully the resolution will pass in a strong form, but sea level rise is not the only negative effect of Virginia relying on fossil fuels. Coal-burning power plants not only put out greenhouse gases, they emit heavy metals that contaminate water and make fish from local rivers unsafe to eat. They cause asthma and disproportionately affect lower income and minority Virginians with the health effects of living in polluted communities downwind of these toxic facilities.

Returning to the conclusions that the Governor’s Commission on Climate Change made, we need to think hard about what our energy system is doing to our coastal areas and what we need to do differently. Then we’ll address a big cause of sea level rise, and a host of other problems, and not just treat a symptom.

 

Tidal flooding in Norfolk. ( Eric Levy, NewsChannel 3 )

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CCAN delivers over 19,000 Keystone XL petitions to Warner and Webb

A dozen Richmond volunteers delivered thousands of Virginia petitions against the Keystone XL pipeline to Senator Warner

Starting at noon on February 13th, over 800,000 people across the U.S. signed a petition urging Congress to stop the Keystone XL Tar Sands pipeline – 800,000! Equally impressive, Virginians made up over 19,000 of those signatures. All in just 24 hours. And today a dozen volunteers delivered that message loud and clear to Senators Warner and Webb.

The 24-hour action was set in motion after organizers gained intel that members of Congress in the pocket of the fossil fuel lobby were trying to force through approval of the pipeline through amendments to unrelated bills. Late last Thursday, we learned even more sudden news that a vote could be imminent – as soon as this Tuesday or Wednesday – on an amendment to a federal transportation bill.

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Governor O’Malley Joins Students from 12 Maryland Campuses Rally in Support of Offshore Wind Power

 

For months, students from Maryland universities and high schools have gathered petition signatures, written letters to the editor in their local and school papers, met with their college administrators, and educated their fellow students on offshore wind legislation. And yesterday, all their hard work culminated in a Student Rally and Lobby Day for Offshore Wind.

Students from Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, and the Eastern Shore arrived in Annapolis yesterday morning to sit down with their legislators and talk to them about passing the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2012.

At noon, students from the Maryland Student Climate Coalition (MSCC), representing 12 campuses and 4 high schools, converged onto Lawyer’s Mall to send a message to the Maryland General Assembly that students and universities support offshore wind legislation and want it passed this session. This rally was one of the largest student demonstrations in recent history in Annapolis. 

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