Public Forum on Climate Crisis and Virginia
Featuring Tim Kaine and Corey Stewart
September 7, 2018 — Fairfax, Virginia — The Virginia Climate Crisis Forum: Solutions to Climate Change, with featured speakers Tim Kaine and Corey Stewart (2018 Senatorial candidates from Virginia), will take place on Tuesday, September 18, 2018, at 7:30 PM, at James Madison High School, 2500 James Madison Drive, Vienna, Virginia. The forum is open to the public and free of charge. Doors open at 7 PM; space is limited. For additional details or to register, visit bit.ly/FACSclimateforum.
The Virginia Climate Crisis Forum, hosted by Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions (FACS), will focus on how Virginia is being and will be affected by climate change and solutions and actions Virginians can take. Featured speakers at the event will be U.S. Senator Tim Kaine; and Corey Stewart, Chairman At-Large, Prince William County Board of Supervisors. Panelists include: Samantha Ahdoot, MD, FAAP, Chair and Co-founder, Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action; Major General Rick Devereaux, USAF (Ret.), Former Director of Operational Planning, Policy & Strategy, U.S. Air Force and Advisory Board, Center for Climate and National Security; and Fairfax County Supervisor Dan Storck. The discussion will be moderated by Rev. Dr. Jean Wright.
Highlighting the purpose and importance of this event, FACS Chairperson Eric Goplerud explains, “Climate change is a global challenge which requires action now. We can and must act — all of us.”
Attendees of the Virginia Climate Crisis Forum will have the opportunity to hear from Virginia’s 2018 candidates for Senator.
“Climate change threatens our health and safety and, as Senator, I am fighting to mitigate its effects, prepare for its consequences, and take immediate actions to protect our planet. Virginia is uniquely vulnerable to the dangers of climate change, from sea level rise along our coasts to extreme weather events in every corner of the Commonwealth,” shares U.S. Senator Tim Kaine. “I look forward to this important discussion to hear good ideas from experts and to share my vision for environmental protection that keeps us all safe.”
Corey Stewart, Chairman At-Large, Prince William County Board of Supervisors shares, “I’m attending this forum to make the case for the pro-growth, commonsense environmental policies the President and his team are implementing, and why it’s time to put America first when it comes to international negotiations on this issue.”
The forum will also feature remarks on climate change from a panel including the varied perspectives of health, national security, and local government.
Samantha Ahdoot, MD, FAAP, is a pediatrician and the Chair and Co-founder of Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action. “As a pediatrician, I see children whose lives are being affected by our changing climate, through hotter summers, worsening allergy seasons and more extreme weather,” she says. “Forward-looking policies and a bold vision for decarbonization will ensure a healthy future for Virginia’s children with clean air and a stable climate.”
Major General Rick Devereaux, USAF (Ret.), Former Director of Operational Planning, Policy & Strategy, U.S. Air Force and Advisory Board, Center for Climate and National Security offers, “Climate change threatens our national security in a number of ways. Weather pattern changes have led to economic and cultural instabilities that increase the risk of conflict; more frequent extreme weather events places humanitarian response demands on our overtaxed military forces; and sea level rise directly threatens many coastal military installations.”
Fairfax County Supervisor Dan Storck represents the Mount Vernon District of the county. “Climate change is an important issue to us all, but particularly here in the Mount Vernon District of Fairfax County, where many waterways and various industrial sites combine to create unique risks and challenges. The combination of sea level rise, average annual temperature rise, and extreme weather events continues to have an increasing impact on our communities and waterways. It is critical that we take immediate action as a County and a nation to mitigate and adapt to these impacts in order to protect people, places, and property.
FACS unites people of faith to develop local solutions to the climate crisis. Rev. Dr. Jean Wright, FACS Treasurer and moderator of the Virginia Climate Crisis Forum says, “This is an opportunity for our Northern Virginia community to discuss the moral and religious imperative to act on climate change. Faith-based action draws on a deep well of love for each other and the planet we share.”
“As a person of faith, I believe we’re called upon to care for the most vulnerable among us; children, the elderly, and lower-income populations will be most affected by climate change,” adds FACS Secretary Scott Peterson. “We need our leaders to act with urgency to ensure a livable community for the future.”
Residents from throughout Virginia are encouraged to attend the Virginia Climate Crisis Forum to hear from the featured speakers and panelists.
Representing more than 70 congregations in the Northern Virginia area, FACS advocates for climate policies in Northern Virginia and in the Commonwealth. We empower and unite neighbors of all faiths to develop local solutions to the climate crisis. FACS is a 501(c)(3) non-partisan organization. Visit faithforclimate.org for more information.
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