Friends,

As this extremely difficult year comes to a close, I can’t help but feel gratitude for the 350 Fairfax community.

Thank you for continuing to join us at virtual general meetings – it’s so good to see your faces! Thank you for continuing to advocate for bold climate action, even in the face of an immediate public health crisis. And thank you for speaking up about reducing waste in our community in a year when the plastic pollution problem only got worse.

January is an important and busy time of year for climate advocacy in Virginia – the start of the General Assembly’s short, annual legislative session. Over the last two months, we’ve been soaking up all the info we can about the Green New Deal Virginia coalition’s 2021 legislative package.

We’ll continue our preparation on January 7 at 7:30 p.m. with an update from Zach Huntington of Clean Fairfax about single-use plastic and litter legislation the General Assembly will consider this year. RSVP for the January general meeting here.

Haven’t made it to a general meeting in a while? Wondering what we’ve been working on and how you can help? Here is what you’ve missed.

Green New Deal Virginia

Jolene Mafnas of Food & Water Watch Virginia joined our November general meeting to talk about Virginia’s 2021 Green New Deal Act. This omnibus energy bill would put an immediate moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure, set a renewable portfolio standard of 100% by 2036, put 40% of clean energy investments in environmental justice communities, provide transition assistance for fossil fuel workers, and implement strong labor standards in the energy sector. 350 Fairfax is all-in on the Green New Deal Act.

But Virginia’s Green New Deal is not just this ambitious energy bill. It is a suite of legislation that includes

an independent fossil fuel infrastructure moratorium bill sponsored by Del. Cole,
a local food infrastructure bill sponsored by Del. Rasoul,
a repeal right to work bill sponsored by Del. Carter,
a paid sick leave bill sponsored by Del. Guzman, and
a healthy soil and carbon sequestration bill sponsored by Del. Gooditis.

Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act

We don’t often work on federal legislation, but the Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act is exactly in our (plastic pollution) wheelhouse. This bold and comprehensive bill is the first to create a national approach to solving the plastic pollution crisis. The bill

requires manufacturers to take responsibility for collecting and recycling waste,
creates a nationwide 10-cent beverage container refund policy and a nationwide carryout bag fee,
provides for source reduction and the phasing out of the top-polluting products,
creates a minimum recycled content requirement and standardizes recycling and composting,
allows a state to enact more stringent standards if it choses, and
temporarily pauses the building of new or expanded plastic-producing facilities until the appropriate federal agencies can study the impact of such facilities.

Fairfax County Plastic Bag Ban

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is considering implementing a county-wide 5-cent tax on single-use plastic bags. The tax would apply to disposable plastic bags provided by grocery stores, convenience stores, and drugstores and could drastically reduce the estimated 3 billion bags used and trashed in Virginia each year.

The Virginia Department of Taxation estimates that if the 5-cent tax were imposed statewide, it could potentially generate $20–$24 million in revenue for localities. Revenues collected from the tax will be used to clean up our roadsides and streams, prevent pollution and litter, educate the public on this issue, and provide reusable bags to recipients of federal food support, like WIC and SNAP.

ACTION: Call, email, or tweet your supervisor in support of the 5-cent tax on plastic bags TODAY. Find your supervisor’s contact information here.

Community-Wide Energy and Climate Action Plan

Fairfax County convened a task force of community stakeholders to create a Community-Wide Energy and Climate Action Plan in early 2020. The task force has continued to meet virtually through the pandemic and was able to set a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions across all economic sectors by 2050.

To develop the actions and strategies necessary to meet that target, the task force has been split into two working groups: one focusing on buildings and energy and one focusing on transportation and waste. These working groups will continue to meet and hash out ideas for the next few months.

Public engagement is essential to ensure the final CECAP is both equitable and ambitious. Our members participated in force in the first public comment period back in September.

Upcoming Events

Mothers Out Front Legislative Preview. January 6, 7 p.m., Zoom! This event will offer Virginians an overview of key climate bills coming before the General Assembly in 2021. Additionally, attendees will learn how to advocate for this legislation safely and easily from the comfort of their own homes. Find out more and RSVP here.

350 Fairfax General Meeting. January 7, 7:30 p.m., Zoom! We will hear from Zach Huntington of Clean Fairfax about the single-use plastic and litter legislation the General Assembly will consider in 2021. Spoiler alert: We could see a Styrofoam ban! We’ll also spend time planning for the new year. RSVP here.

Save the date for the Green New Deal Virginia 2021 Kickoff! January 16, Zoom! This virtual rally will feature key legislators sponsoring Green New Deal bills and great music from artists across the state. Stay tuned for more details.

Happy new year, everyone!

Julie