Erie,
Pennsylvania: To most, this city is associated with tourist attractions such as
Presque Isle State Park, Dobbins Landing, Waldameer Park, and the family
favorite, Splash Lagoon. However, to the people that live here, it’s much more
than that.
Like anywhere that’s considered
home, it’s a place where they work, raise their kids, and interact with other
members of their communities. Therefore, legislation such as the EPA’s Clean
Power Plan greatly affects them, and many Erie residents say in a positive way.
For those who may be unfamiliar with
this policy, here is a brief background: The Clean Power Plan is a recent
effort to mitigate climate change and improve public health by limiting carbon
pollution. It’s a flexible, state-driven approach, with Pennsylvania targeted
to cut carbon 33.3 percent by 2030. Pennsylvania has until September 6, 2016 to
submit their draft on how to achieve its goal and then another two years to
submit the final, concrete plan. If Pennsylvania does not submit a plan, the
EPA will implement its own federal carbon reduction strategy.
In order to meet these deadlines and
craft a strong, customized implementation plan based on Pennsylvania’s unique
energy mix, economy, and workforce, the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP) held more than a dozen listening sessions and a
2-month comment period on the plan, open to anyone willing to speak. One of
those hearings took place in Erie.
A week prior to the hearing,
PennFuture and the NW PA Green Economy Task Force sponsored a free training
event open to the public with PennFuture Energy Center’s Director Rob Altenburg
speaking about the Clean Power Plan and how it will benefit Erie as well as the
rest of Pennsylvania. The demographics of the group of trainees ranged from a
senior at Penn State working on his final capstone project that focuses on the
lack of an emissions reduction target in the updated Climate Change Action Plan
to a member of the Erie County Planning Department. Although everyone’s
knowledge of the Clean Power Plan varied, trainees were able to help one
another draft their testimonies and providing inspiration to some who were
still ambivalent on speaking.
Erie
resident Karen Shor was unsure if she should speak or not, but ultimately
decided to let her voice be heard. “I am here and will be at the hearing
because I believe in Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. As a Reform Jew, I don’t
necessarily believe in heaven and hell. I believe that the only thing that
lives on after we die is the work we do in this life. I want the world to be a
better place because I was here. Plus, I firmly believe that ‘we do not inherit
the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children’ and I want the
children growing up to have a healthier place to live.
Guy
McUmber, Northwest Branch Director of the Green Building Alliance (GBA), also
attended the training and hearing, and was interested in the Clean Power Plan
for other reasons, particularly how the Clean Power Plan can encourage high
performance and healthy buildings. In his testimony he stated, “GBA believes
the Clean Power Plan is an excellent opportunity for the Commonwealth to
develop a progressive and comprehensive plan and related policies on energy
efficiency and clean energy. Unfortunately, we have lacked this type of
planning on a national and statewide level, although there have been many
important programs created by individual states and municipalities. Having a
coherent plan that ‘connects all the dots’ will lead to Pennsylvania making
real progress in reducing fossil fuel usage and promoting cleaner
alternatives.”
The
hearing took place on October 29 at Blasco Library’s Hirt Auditorium and
involved testimonies from people praising about their solar installations for
their homes, as well as more touching anecdotes accompanied with pictures of a
grandfather who had died of black lung disease due to unsafe mining practices. Of
course, there were a few people in disagreement with the Clean Power Plan, but
the majority demonstrating that they were indeed in favor in creating a
healthier and safer environment for their community. In fact, according to a recent
poll released by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication, an
average 61 percent of adults say they support the policy.
PennFuture
would like to thank all who participated in the training as well as the hearing
to help create a safer, healthier, and more sustainable Pennsylvania.
Annie Regan is western Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Pittsburgh.
