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As further evidence of their discernment and the natural world's degradation, Virginians are troubled about the condition of the environment and the prospects for improvement, according to a new study by researchers at Christopher Newport University.
Specifically, Virginians are worried about mountaintop-removal mining of coal, as ecologically disastrous a practice as occurs just about anywhere; the dire and declining condition of the Chesapeake Bay; and the state of our other rivers and lakes, increasingly fouled with mercury and other pollutants.
Both interesting and discouraging is Virginians' take on climate change. A bare majority believe that the science is settled - which almost all scientists believe it is - a testament to confusion sowed by the oil and coal industries and their apologists.
Virginians have largely seen through that disinformation, and say they both understand the issue and believe that global warming is occurring. But while most Virginians have done something to alter their own carbon footprint, they don't believe that effort will be enough.
They are willing to make additional sacrifices, if the study has captured the environmental mood in the commonwealth, including paying more for fuel-efficient cars and houses.
Add all that up - along with a plurality who like the idea of limiting greenhouse gases through a system of trading pollution credits - and it appears Virginians are outpacing their elected officials when it comes to how seriously they take the threat of global warming.
That's good news, or should be, for legislators in Richmond and Washington. There's just one problem. Given the ideological split - especially over climate change - Virginians probably believe the environmental problems facing the world are more significant than do their elected leaders.
A third of Virginians say they've already made major lifestyle changes to combat global warming; another 60 percent say they've made minor ones. That's great news, but the study indicates that Virginians are willing to do more if leaders will only provide modest incentives.
Which leaves the next steps to Washington and Richmond. As the study makes clear, Virginians are waiting.
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Big surprise here with the editorial slant..
"...which almost all scientists believe it is - a testament to confusion sowed by the oil and coal industries and their apologists"
That line alone renders this editorial as yet another joke from the Pilot. There is considerable debate, many would say based on unassailable evidence, that much of the global warming doom predictions are questionable at best. Think we'll ever see a contrary side presented by the Pilot's Editors? Yeah, right...
Last week there was a hearing in Congress that featured Al Gore bloviating yet again about how we're all minutes from dying unless we (America, and America alone) fundamentally alters every aspect of our way of life to address the alleged threat posed by global warming. Henry Waxman would not allow an invited expert to offer testimony contrary to Gore's. Many believe this man's appearance would have severly hurt Gore and his message's credibility. You won't get the full story, pro and con, about global warming from the main stream media, they exist to trumpet the Dems talking points only..
The Pilot presumes to speak for "Virginians"?
How many "Virginians" does the Liberal Pilot Editorial Board pretend to speak for in this one sided propaganda piece? It appears they are too busy supporting The Left's myth of "Global Warming is man-made" to bother to include such relevant facts in their propaganda, er-um, "editorial". ... and they wonder why they are going out of business?
What a joke
Global Warming, Climate Change or whatever you want to call it is a joke! While I believe as most do who are educated on the matter the earth goes through cylces and that is what is happening now. And while the human population does have a small part in adding to this it is not as much as we think. When Mt St Helens errupted it put more polutants into our ecosystems then the us has produced in the last ten years. So go on with your doom and gloom reporting it doesn't work on those of us who are truly educated on this matter.