Senate must act now for a cleaner future

The science is clear: The world is getting warmer and will continue warming in the years to come. But how much warmer the world will get is largely within our control. If we continue to burn more fossil fuels each year, the outlook for the planet is dire. But if we can reduce our emissions of global warming pollution and shift to a clean energy economy, we can still prevent the worst impacts of global warming.

The key benchmark for the United States and the world is to prevent the global average temperature from increasing by about another two degrees Fahrenheit. A temperature increase of another two degrees is a rough threshold beyond which many of the most dangerous impacts from global warming will become inevitable.

You may be wondering: What does this mean for Virginia? According to research conducted by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Virginia’s coastline has the second-greatest risk imposed from rising sea levels in the entire country, and an Environment Virginia analysis of global warming’s effects on agriculture indicates economic risk to the commonwealth’s corn industry from rising temperatures.

The good news is that it is not too late to act and limit the worst effects of global warming, but we must act now. We must break our reliance on the dirty energy of the past and look toward the bright future that can be powered by clean energy.

We can make our homes and businesses so efficient that they use zero-net energy. We can harness wind and solar power for the energy we do need. We can transport ourselves in American-made plug-in hybrid cars that get 100 miles to the gallon.

This energy transformation would put millions of Americans to work in new clean-energy jobs — building wind turbines, installing solar panels, weatherizing homes and

laying a smarter electric grid that will power our new energy economy. We have the capacity for clean energy to create economic opportunities here in Virginia, while reducing pollution. Whether it’s the wind blowing off our shores and on the mountain ridges or the fields in Southside that we can harvest for bio-fuels, the commonwealth is uniquely positioned to be a leader in renewable energy production.

University of Massachu-setts economists estimate that investing $100 billion in clean energy and green infrastructure over two years would generate 56,459 jobs right here in Virginia. Between the $80 billion in the president’s economic recovery plan and funding in his budget, we’re on track to do even more.

These investments are an important first step, but the real work of change remains before us. In June, the House of Representatives took a critical leap in leading America down the path to this bright future by passing the American Clean Energy and Security Act. This legislation set requirements for generating electricity from clean, renewable, homegrown sources — wind, solar, geothermal and environmentally sustainable biomass; improving energy efficiency; and making science-based cuts in global warming pollution.

While the bill is a crucial step, there are many more steps to be taken on the path to a clean-energy economy. We can and we must use dramatically less energy; all the energy we do use needs to come from clean energy sources; we need to cut our dependence on oil in half; and we must hold polluters truly accountable for cutting their global warming pollution.

As the bill moves to the Senate, it should be strengthened in the following ways:

l Ensuring more clean energy for Virginia. The Union of Concerned Scientists states that a standard requiring America to obtain 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources alone would create an estimated 297,000 new jobs nationwide and save consumers in Virginia $810 million in electricity and natural gas bills by 2025. This is an achievable goal for Virginia, as we have enough wind off our coasts to meet 25 percent of the commonwealth’s energy demand.

l Increasing energy efficiency. A standard requiring utilities to use 15 percent less energy by 2020 will encourage innovation, lower utility bills for Virginia’s consumers and businesses, create jobs and reduce pollution. According to analysis conducted by Campaign for an Energy Efficient America, in Virginia, the standard would create 3,750 jobs and save consumers an average of $675 per household annually by 2020.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act is by no means perfect. But overall the bill is a strong framework for action, and it answers President Obama’s call for legislation to repower America with clean energy.

But opponents to America’s clean energy economy are out in force. Environment Virginia estimates that Big Oil, Dirty Coal, and other polluters have hired more than 2,000 lobbyists to stop the president’s plan — nearly four lobbyists for every member of Congress.

The polluters want the president’s plan decided in the halls and backrooms of Capitol Hill. To push clean energy plans past Dirty Coal and its cronies, our senators need to hear from us. We want to bring the debate to front porches, kitchens, living rooms and town halls across America. Sen. Jim Webb and Sen. Mark Warner need to hear from people who are ready to repower Virginia — to move away from the polluting energy sources of the past and toward the clean energy jobs of the future.