BLACKSBURG, Va. – Governor Glenn Youngkin is pulling Virginia out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a multi-state agreement to limit carbon emissions and reduce greenhouse gas effects.
A group gathered in Downtown Blacksburg to protest this decision. They think pulling out of RGGI would hurt Virginians.
“I have grandchildren and I won’t be around that much longer, but I want a healthy planet for my kids and grandkids,” said George Lally, a protester and retired U.S. Marine.
He said he worries about the people he loves if nothing is done about climate change.
“It’s not going to hurt me very much, but there are people I love,” said Lally. “Everyone I know has kids and grandkids and we’ve got to think about them and the world they live in.”
Emily Piontek, the protest organizer, said climate change still affects local areas.
She also said pulling out of the initiative directly strips money from communities impacted by climate change.
“When you are deforesting these mountains, they are not able to absorb the rainwater impacts that we’re seeing.”
She hopes more people will weigh in.
“The public comment period closes on the final day of the month.”
Karolyn Givens has been a longtime climate activist in the area and she said it is now or never.
“What I really hope is we are calling more attention to more people that, in fact, Governor Youngkin has done this and we can’t afford it,” said Givens. “We need people to speak out.”
WSLS 10 reached out to the Governor’s office to comment on the exit of the program and we received the following statement from the Virginia Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Travis Voyles.
Virginia has been a part of the program since 2017 and became a full participant in 2020.