This letter to the editor was published on July 3, 2016 in The Daily Progress. To sign up for the March on the Mansion, click here. 

Before coming into office, Gov. Terry McAuliffe was a supporter of clean energy, and it was a key part of his platform. Unfortunately, during his time in office we have yet to see him firmly stand by those principles, as he has supported offshore oil drilling as well as building hugely destructive fracked-gas pipelines across our great state.

I’m a rising fourth-year student at the University of Virginia, and I’ve been a Virginian for the past 10 years. As someone who cares deeply about the future of our state, I believe it’s of great importance to be investing in clean energy in order to keep Virginia’s environment safe.

Some of my favorite things about this state are the outdoors and the beautiful array of wildlife; being able to go hiking in the mountains with friends, or swimming in the lakes and rivers during summer. If Gov. McAuliffe continues to support the big fossil-fuel industries, those cherished opportunities will be few and far between in the future.

That’s why on July 23, I plan on attending the March on the Mansion (marchonthemansion.org) in Richmond, so we can keep that hope alive in keeping Virginia beautiful. I’m going to be present with family and friends, and I encourage all other concerned citizens to do the same, because we absolutely need to be holding our public officials accountable — especially when it comes to issues as vital as the well-being of our state and the environment that could put our future in jeopardy.

We simply don’t have time to wait, because climate change is a problem that affects us here and now.