As clouds of wildfire smoke envelop vast portions of the United States, Virginia finds itself grappling with an air pollution crisis that hasn’t been this severe in decades. State officials have raised alarms, cautioning that certain areas have air quality so poor it poses a risk to the public, urging them to limit their exposure.
In a bizarre twist, Virginia’s state regulators appear more fixated on a different agenda – assisting Governor Glenn Youngkin in his campaign to withdraw the state from an alliance that has significantly pushed utility companies to reduce carbon emissions.
This Wednesday, with a close 4-3 verdict, the state’s Air Quality Control Board gave the green light to the governor’s proposal to sever ties with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). This coalition made up of eleven states, has been lauded by environmentalists for being an efficient, cost-effective strategy in the battle against climate change.
Back in 2020, Virginia became the pioneering southern state to sign up for the RGGI program, which sets obligatory limits on carbon emissions from power plants. To further its impact, the program requires power sector companies to purchase allowances for every ton of carbon dioxide they emit. The proceeds from these allowances are then funneled into funding energy-efficient initiatives.
However, since taking office, Youngkin has been committed to extricating Virginia from the RGGI. His justification? The governor contends that the program amounts to an unfair tax burden on Virginian residents and businesses, all without benefiting the environment. But here’s the rub: environmentalists beg to differ.
During Wednesday’s hearing, the Southern Environmental Law Center presented recent EPA data that painted a different picture. The statistics revealed a significant reduction in Virginia’s carbon emissions from power plants since 2020 – a drop of about 5.5 million tons a year or an impressive 16.8 percent.
As Virginia’s skies fill with smoke, the state’s priorities seem glaringly misplaced. The juxtaposition is hard to ignore: the physical manifestation of climate change engulfs the state, while its leaders strive to distance Virginia from initiatives combating this very crisis. The irony is as thick as the smoke blanketing Virginia, a clear indicator of the climate conundrum that needs urgent attention.
