Environmental Issues Platform

We, the Virginia Young Democrats, recognize a responsibility to help protect the natural environment in our commonwealth and nation and believe that the condition of the air, land, and water and the amount of available natural resources will impact young Virginians most as we progress further into the 21st century. Virginia's diverse landscape inspires us, and with other organizations, we can collaborate to address the most pressing environmental issues and leave future generations a cleaner, safer, more beautiful Commonwealth.

We understand that our common environment is an issue that should unite us. Whether primarily concerned about health, stewardship of creation, animal rights, wise use of resources, or global climate change, each of us has good reason to take better care of our environment. We advocate striking a balance between industry and safeguarding the health and well-being of communities. We realize that unbridled, careless development can have dangerous costs with regard to maintaining the viability of sectors that rely on natural systems such as fishing, hunting, and tourism.

We stress the importance of energy with regard to environmental quality. Conventional fossil fuels like oil and coal potentially cause environmental degradation during extraction, transportation, and combustion, and we believe that our reliance on such fuels to generate electricity and power automobiles poses issues of justice to communities where contamination and destruction are concentrated, and poses a security threat as well. We call for a moratorium on the practice of mountain top removal coal mining for the sake of the inhabitants of Appalachia, and we oppose offshore oil drilling off of Virginia's coasts. We stand in support of Virginia making a commitment to cut statewide greenhouse gas emissions 80% from 1990 levels by 2050; Virginia setting a renewable portfolio standard of 20%, with incentives for clean energy produced here in Virginia; updating Virginia's energy regulations to decouple Dominion Virginia Power's profit from the amount of energy it sells, instead providing Dominion with financial incentives to encourage conservation and efficiency; and prohibiting any construction new coal-fired power plants as they expand the destructive practice of coal mining and are only short-term fixes for meeting demand. We support investment in home-grown, renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal, and we see a need for transportation solutions and for institutionalized energy conservation programs to limit waste in Virginia.

We see Virginia's opportunity to become a leader in green building and well-planned Smart Growth. We embrace the principles of green building used by LEED and other certifiers as a way to lessen environmental impact, decrease energy use, and provide spaces where people can live more healthfully and productively. We recognize many ways to bring about substantial greening of new construction by changing building codes, incentivizing the purchase of energy and water efficient appliances, and providing energy audits for existing structures that may be retrofitted and greened. We identify expanding public transportation and clustering of business and residential structures as ways to limit pollution from vehicles on the road. As young Democrats, and in large part students, we view Virginia's numerous institutions of higher learning as particularly well-suited to provide engineering, research, survey data, and even test communities for sustainability solutions.

We respect the unique ecosystem that the Chesapeake Bay represents and realize that as part of the Bay watershed, we are committed to preserving this precious habitat. We understand that there are negative impacts of agricultural chemicals, farm runoff, litter and waste on the Bay, including eutrophication that produces dead zones. We oppose subsidies for industrial farming and are in favor economic support for sustainable and organic agriculture. We value the culture of Virginia's watermen, and we support measures that would preserve their sustainable lifestyle. To combat overfishing of species such as menhaden and crab, we advocate policies that would allow for wise management of the resource while offering economic relief to fishers. We appreciate the natural beauty of Virginia and favor conservation of lands for wild and historical parks so that our and future generations can enjoy the natural wonders Virginia offers all our lives long.

Do you agree? If so, sign up to join the Environmental Caucus and Pledge to Vote for Democrats on November 4!