{
"type": "rich",
"version": "1.0",
"provider_name": "Action Network",
"provider_url": "https://actionnetwork.org",
"html": "",
"author_name": "Virginia Poor People's Campaign",
"author_url": "https://actionnetwork.org/groups/virginia-poor-peoples-campaign",
"title": "Tell the VA Labor and Commerce Committee to Oppose HB 1526/SB 851 - Virginia Clean Economy Act",
"thumbnail_url": "https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/letters/photos/000/101/580/normal/Banner-VAPPC.jpg",
"description": "The Virginia Clean Economy Act is another Dominion bill masquerading as a good climate bill; we are not fooled. Ripping Off Virginia Ratepayers – Again Both the State Corporation Commission (SCC) and the Virginia Attorney General have stated that this bill is bad for consumers. Our bills will go up and up and then up some more as the clock ticks on the time that we have to make meaningful change to how we generate electricity. We continue to harm vulnerable communities and we the ratepayers pay for that harm. The Science Is Wrong Climate scientists in 2018 said we had 12 years to drastically reduce our carbon emissions; that means the year is 2030 NOT 2050. Either the authors of this bill are climate science deniers or extremely bad at math. The bill does not even stop natural gas pipelines! Carbon Pricing Is Immoral Carbon pricing by any name allows big polluters to continue polluting as long as their pollution is offset somewhere else. Let’s forget that studies have shown that carbon pricing schemes don’t really reduce carbon or that this is an idea originated by Exxon Mobil. Some people argue that RGGI is a good solution because it will pay a dividend to the communities that are harmed by the pollution. First, let’s say that the communities that are being harmed don’t want to be harmed. If we agree that pollution harms (and even kills) then we now have a serious moral issue. When you make the decision to harm an innocent person, you cross the line separating what’s acceptable from what’s not. Sometimes it seems that line is all we have between civilization and chaos. Additionally, by offering money, we make the people harmed complicit in their own harm. If you have not taken the time to read the Indigenous Environmental Network’s report on Carbon Pricing, it is a must read. Most people pushing for carbon pricing do not live in frontline communities and are protected by their privilege of living somewhere that will be protected from pollution. Since it is never going to happen in your community, why can you be so glib in pushing it off into someone else’s community. Shouldn’t the argument be, if not in my backyard, then not in anyone else’s? We urge you to vote No on this bill.",
"url": "https://actionnetwork.org/letters/why-we-oppose-hb-1526sb-851-virginia-clean-economy-act"
}