Earth Day 2020

Wednesday, April 22, 2020 is Earth Day, the 50th Earth Day. The first U.S. celebration of Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. This year’s theme is is climate action. From to the Earthday.org website: “Climate change represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity and the life-support systems that make our world habitable.”

On April 11th Governor Ralph Northam signed HB 714 “Virginia Energy Plan; climate change pressing challenge” bill making it law in Virginia effective July 1, 2020.
The Law states that it will:

• Fully decarbonize the electric power supply of the Commonwealth and reach 30% of electric power from renewables by 2030 and 100% carbon-free electric power by 2040;
• requiring that pathways to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions be determined;
• establishing greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals across Virginia's economy that reach net-zero emissions by 2045;
• maximizing energy efficiency programs in order to produce electricity cost
• establishing sufficient supply and delivery infrastructure to enable widespread deployment of distributed energy resources into the grid;
• mitigating the negative impacts of climate change and the energy transition on disadvantaged communities

Virginia now joins California, New Mexico, Maine, New York, Hawaii, and Washington State in having 100% clean energy goals. This means that all the state’s coal fired power plants will have to be shut down in the next few years. In 2018, natural gas fueled 53% of Virginia's electricity net generation, nuclear power provided almost 31%, coal fueled about 10% and renewable resources, primarily biomass, supplied nearly 7%.according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

As Virginia works towards a economy that is net zero carbon emissions by 2045 you will need to help. Not only do you need to reduce your use of energy and consumption of goods you need to help capture carbon in the atmosphere.  Negative emissions are an essential element of reaching net zero emission. For all the talk of carbon capture the only proven technology is the one from nature-trees. So, we can all begin by planting trees here is Prince William County to fight climate change.
In the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (which we are part of) 55% of the land area is Forest Covered, but that is changing. According to Julie Mawhorter at the U.S. Forest Service the Chesapeake Bay Watershed is losing 100 acres/day of Forest to development. That has to stop. We need to restore and expand the Riparian Forest Buffers in the county, and conserving what forested area are left. In Prince William County we need to look at expanding the forested areas while there are some rural lands still available to reforest and preserve.

If Prince William County purchased the development rights of lots larger than 20 acres in the Rural Crescent and placed an easement for forest on the land we could increase the carbon capture in the county. In the current crisis this is a tough sell, but it would be a onetime expenditure to purchase land. It would not increase the number of houses, students in our schools or the number of transportation daily trips in the coming years. There would be no additional need for County services, schools or police and fire or infrastructure like roads, waste water treatment plants, sewer pipes, water infrastructure. No additional need for teachers and schools and the capital and carrying costs associated with increased population. There would be no impact on sustainability and availability of groundwater and our surface water resources, but it would serve to capture carbon dioxide and move the county towards our net zero carbon future.