How urgent and critical is the climate change issue for Virginia? Before giving an answer I refer to Stephen Nash, a journalist, who conducted intensive research on climate change in Virginia for his book Virginia Climate Fever.  Nash concluded that there are at least 12 actions Virginia could initiate to tackle the issue. Two of the most important actions are rewriting real estate disclosure laws and enacting natural areas management plans.

Real estate disclosure laws are important to ensure that purchasers of coastal and river properties are given an honest picture of the threat of sea level rise.  The laws would also make clear what property owners will and will not be allowed to do to protect their property.  Natural areas management plans could halt further commercial logging and road-building on public lands and manage our forests in anticipation of hotter climates.

Nash wanted to know if those actions would be enough to ward off serious climate disruption.  He claimed the answer is no, but they would be a beginning and a long step forward. According to Nash, the problem of climate change is so advanced that much change is needed in the political, business and individual arenas.

My intentions for providing this information is not to sound the alarm, but to keep us from developing a lackadaisical or over-confident attitude towards climate change.  We must all be mindful of the effects our actions can have on our Earth.

Steven Nash’s book Virginia Climate Fever is available for sale at your local independent bookstore or online at http://virginiaclimatefever.com/.