By Madison Poche, Environment Virginia
(Photo/Susan Hale Thomas)

To the editor:

October 29 marked the one-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy’s landfall, which claimed more than 100 lives, destroyed homes and knocked out power for millions. The recovery continues. Communities in New York and New Jersey are still struggling to rebuild a year later.

What can we learn from this? We know extreme weather events like Sandy and floods in Virginia will become more severe and more frequent unless we tackle global warming now. Certainly, Alexandria is not immune from this threat, and we also can help protect other communities.

We have solutions, like adopting wind and solar power and undertaking home weatherization projects. Most immediately, President Barack Obama is moving forward with new rules to limit the carbon emissions from power plants.

I urge Virginia’s elected leaders, including U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, to support strong limits on carbon so we can protect our children’s future from the worst impacts of global warming. We can’t just commemorate Sandy — we must act.