How to Talk With a Conservative About Climate Change
We all know them. They are in our families and at our workplaces. They are the people who deny that climate change is manmade, or who claim that some scientist has proved it’s all a hoax. Sometimes it’s a matter of choosing teams. Concern…
Fall Wildfire Season Poses Risks for West Virginia
According to the West Virginia Division of Forestry, forests cover 78.5% of the land in the state – making us the third most heavily forested state in the nation. This natural blessing filters water, provides wildlife habitat, and provides…
Governor Justice Declares Drought State of Emergency in All 55 West Virginia Counties
Gov. Jim Justice has declared a State of Emergency for all 55 counties due to a prolonged shortage of rainfall that has caused dangerous drought conditions. The US Department of Agriculture issued the chart below, showing the drought conditions…
What is the Cost of Climate Change Inaction?
Skeptics of climate change often warn of the cost of reducing greenhouse gases. They cite job dislocation in fossil fuel industries, increased taxes and government debt as reasons to do nothing. Sure, there will be costs. But there will also…
Climate Change Drives Up the Cost of Homeowner’s Insurance
Climate change worldwide is taking money from our pockets in ways we never imagined. One of those ways is the higher cost of homeowner's insurance.
The skyrocketing cost of homeowner’s insurance has caused people in West Virginia to underinsure…
New Energy Jobs – The Cure for West Virginia’s Youth Drain
In the last two decades, West Virginia’s story has been one of declining population, particularly young people of working-age, and sluggish job growth. Our representation in Congress recently dropped from three Representatives to two because…
Another Climate Change Risk – Lyme Disease
We’ve always had ticks in West Virginia. But maybe you’ve noticed they’re worse now. You aren’t imagining it. There are more ticks these days and they are showing up earlier in the spring and dying off later in the fall. The culprit?…
Climate Change Has Made This Extreme Heat Four Times More Likely
Everyone has noticed. Extreme heat has become more frequent and more widespread than in the past. Is it just a temporary natural fluke that will be corrected when we return to the mean temperatures experienced in the last fifty years? Absolutely…
West Virginia Flooding – The Present Danger
If your neighbor says he’s not worried about climate change because West Virginia isn’t on the Atlantic coast, he hasn’t been keeping up with the news. Coastal flooding isn’t the issue. The real issue is flash flooding from our creeks…
SB 171: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Unfortunately, the West Virginia Senate has adopted the wholly undemocratic practice of advancing bills at the opening of the annual legislative session without public notice, referral to committee or debate. Senate Bill 171, passed unanimously…
