By Stephen Webber Most Virginians believe that a top-down government approach is the only way to address climate change; however, this notion overlooks the simple alterations at a local level that can have large impacts on reducing the effects of climate change. Virginia is split between North and South â commonly referred to as NOVA and SOVA â large cities and rural areas, and red counties and blue counties, but across the board suffers from the same issue preventing climate action: city planning. In large metro areas like Richmond and the Capital Beltway, life is built around access to transportation. Metro stops are the lifeblood for anyone who lives near Washington, D.C., but access often is overlooked to the net detriment of those on the lower portion of the cityâs economic spectrum. When life is built around the car, a breakdown too costly to fix is the equivalent of losing a lung.