This site was built by 5 people who care about Hampton Roads, who have careers in (or are retired from) many disciplines from teaching to medicine to engineering.
We are a group of people who believe in “Progress as if survival matters” and want to see Hampton Roads succeed.
We have experience and knowledge in many areas such as renewable energy, environmental issues and climate change.
Clean air, clean water, and clean energy are necessary to have a healthy life. In addition to being a National Security Issue, clean energy will help provide thousands of new jobs, reduce deaths from mercury and other toxins produced by fossil fuels, and increase social justice for communities that are typically more impacted by dirty energy.
You don’t need to believe in climate change to want a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable world.
Recognizing that local governments across Hampton Roads have been willing to spend hundreds of millions of dollars (and soon to be billions) adapting to sea level rise and recurrent flooding resulting from climate change, as concerned climate activists, we saw a profound need to advocate for solutions to the underlying cause of climate change–increased greenhouse gases in our atmosphere from our continuing reliance on fossil fuels.
The Hampton Roads Climate Action Hub is our attempt to show the public and public officials how we can undertake a just transition from our fossil fuel dependence. With the overwhelming consensus of climate scientists informing us that we need to cut GHG emissions by 45% by 2030 to avoid the worst consequences of climate change, it is disconcerting and ultimately will be tragic that we continue to increase these emissions as a region, a state and a country.
We hope this website provides a wide range of solutions available to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. We of course will endeavor to provide accurate information, but please keep in mind that we may make errors, so please verify any information you intend to rely on for any purposes for which accuracy is critical.
Ruth McElroy Amundsen, engineer and founder of Norfolk Solar to install solar in disadvantaged areas
Glen Besa, retired director of the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter
Christine Llewellyn, physician and founder of the former Williamsburg Climate Action Network
John Luker, hands-on clean energy advocate, built solar water heater, installed Bergey wind turbine
Tyla Matteson, retired teacher with 30 years in Hampton, and chair of the York River Group of the Sierra Club