Climate Forum Shares Green Solutions
Deadra Miller, online editor
On Jan. 24, PVCC hosted the Community Climate Forum in conjunction with C’Ville 100 Climate Coalition to discuss the reduction of carbon emissions throughout Albemarle County and Charlottesville. Four different speakers were present to discuss their diverse solutions to the growing problem.
The first speaker was PVCC Biology Lab Manager Jennifer Scott. Scott spoke about how the polar ice caps are melting minute by minute. She pointed out that there are many cities across the United States that have made commitments to using 100 percent renewable electricity. She then posed the question to the audience, “when will Charlottesville become 100 percent renewable electricity?”
The two closest areas in Virginia that are committed are Blacksburg, Virginia and Floyd County Virginia. Right now only 40 percent of the United States, which adds up to 16 states, have formed a climate alliance within their state. Scott also pointed out that the United States cannot withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement until after the 2020 Presidential Election.
Amory Fischer of Community Housing Partners (CHP) advertised a Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) that helps lower-income families improve energy efficiency within their homes. Locally, WAP has a service zone that covers most of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Sean Farber of Charlottesville Renewable Energy Alliance (REA) and Sun Tribe Solar spoke about how the REA was working with nine companies to help Charlottesville transition into solely using solar energy. Charlottesville is trying to complete four phases within a three-year time frame. These phases are confirming that the Charlottesville community will be helping reduce the use of fossil fuels, which the city has completed; taking inventory of Charlottesville’s greenhouse gasses, which is also completed; trying to meet their target of reducing a majority of Charlottesville’s greenhouse gas emissions by June 2019; and enacting their plan of going totally solar in and around Charlottesville by June 2020. Fischer produced a call to action for Charlottesville to follow by attending the next City Council meeting that is being held on Friday, Feb. 1.
The final speaker was Adjunct English Instructor Lisa Glassco. The main idea of her speech was going green by eating. Glassco presented numerous facts about saving trees, oxygen, and soil by eating vegetarian. She also said that there are over 50 celebrities past and present that have converted to eating vegetarian. Contrary to some popular views, eating vegetarian saves more than just cattle; it saves trees, breathable oxygen, and even our natural resources.
In between each of the speakers were the Green Grannies, a group of older women that provide entertainment and education at the same time with song. They sang songs that were promoting solar energy usage and many other ways to save the natural resources available on Earth.
For more information about any of these companies or sources please visit C’Ville 100’s website https://www.cvilleclimate.org/ or contact any one of the panelists via their respective companies.
