As a parent, I believe climate change is an issue that all parents should seek to address for the benefit of our children, including - when necessary - through personal sacrifice.  Our forebears left us a planet in pretty good shape, but recent generations have allowed carbon emissions and other phenomena that damage the Earth to undermine our quality of life and the planet itself, as demonstrated by the increasing number and destructiveness of droughts and extreme storms, growing famine, rising sea levels, increasing ocean temperatures and acidification, dying coral reefs, and increasing species extinction, just to name the most obvious effects of climate change.  Such damage will be even more serious for the world in which our children and their children will live, unless we do more to reduce carbon emissions.  For this reason, I believe we should do as much as possible to mitigate these baleful effects.  Virginia’s participation in RGGI is a significant contribution to this effort, and - while some Virginians may have very slightly increased electricity bills as a result of RGGI - the environmental and economic benefits of the Initiative to the state and its citizens clearly outweigh these minor costs.  Withdrawing from RGGI, evidently a plan driven by the Governor’s political ambitions, would be the height of folly and irresponsibility to future generations.