Do-as-I-say: Albemarle County Supervisors’ climate-action hypocrisy

Albemarle County’s recent purchase of a “Community Engagement Field Office”—also known as a Ford Transit van—smacks of waste and hypocrisy by those who have pledged a greener, cleaner future.

Just last year, the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors adopted a bombastic, far-reaching “Climate Action Plan,” which proposed lofty, ambitious targets:

Albemarle County’s target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the community by 45% from 2008 levels by 2030 and to achieve zero net emissions by 2050. 

In line with the County’s overall vision, our climate protection program seeks to achieve these targets in ways that: 

Benefit the health of all residents; 

Protect the local natural environment; 

Stimulate the creation of green jobs to support a thriving local economy; 

Promote education on climate action for youth and adults; and 

Contribute to a more equitable community, with the benefits of climate action programs easily accessible and affordable for every resident regardless of socio-economic status. 

In addition, the Board’s plan promises “bold climate action in service of a healthy planet for all and for the prosperity, health, and well-being of our community,” and “continued support of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.”

In fact, the introductory paragraphs of Albemarle’s Climate Action Plan condemn so-called “fossil fuels” as wantonly destructive to the earth:

The burning of fossil fuels, large-scale deforestation for commercial agriculture and development, and systemic degradation of forests, wetlands, and other ecosystems since the Industrial Revolution are spurring drastic changes in Earth’s climate and weather patterns.

And, the “Transportation and Land Use” goals section of the Plan cites promoting the use of “zero-emissions vehicles” through tax-reduction “incentives.”

So, why then, would the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors risk the future of our planet by purchasing a dangerous and environmentally catastrophic gasoline-powered van?

1. 1. 1. Because they are hypocrites of the first-order and really don’t believe their own climate propaganda.

    

   1. Because the gasoline-powered Transit van was purchased with Federal CARES dollars, and to a power-hungry government bureaucrat, “FREE” beats environmental posturing every time.