Every day, it seems, we see another sign of climate change spiraling out of control - catastrophic floods, lethal heatwaves, withering droughts, uncontrollable wildfires, and deadly storms that are already costing us billions of dollars and wrecking lives.  Pulling Virginia out of the RGGI will only increase the long term costs and damages of the climate crisis, at a time when we have only a small window to avert the worst effects and also at a time when we could profit most by leading on the development of clean energy generation and energy conservation.  Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will also help to improve public health, especially for low-income communities that are disproportionately affected by air pollution and where high asthma rates result in hospitalizations, lost work days, and missed school days for those who can least afford them.  

Furthermore, we need the funding available if we remain in the RGGI to help our communities prepare for and prevent catastrophic floods like the one that devastated Buchanan County, already suffering from high poverty.  We need RGGI to help low-income households reduce their energy bills and to provide more good jobs in improving their homes to become more energy efficient and safer.  

We don't need Virginia's state government to shoot our future in the foot by withdrawing from the RGGI; we need it to rein in the abusive practices of monopoly utilities like Dominion and Appalachian Power.