Clean Power Plan Hearing in Pittsburgh: Bringing you updates on the day's events

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will convene a two-day hearing in Pittsburgh on the Clean Power Plan on November 12 and 13 -- one of only four EPA hearings to be held across the country. The Clean Power Plan is the first ever limit on carbon pollution for existing power plants. 

We need you to stand up and show your support FOR the Clean Power Plan, an essential first step toward mitigating climate change and improving air quality. Since the Clean Power Plan rule was finalized in August, big polluters have actively worked to dismantle it, using frivolous lawsuits and legislative attacks. 

No doubt, big polluters will be in Pittsburgh, too, to voice their opposition to the Clean Power Plan. That’s why we need you to be there, with PennFuture and our partners, to show your support for the Clean Power Plan and its benefits to climate, health, and the economy.

Citizens from all walks of life joined for the Clean Power Plan Rally

Thursday, November 12 – 11:30 am – 12:30 pm 

Outside of the William S. Moorhead Federal Building 

1000 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

If you can't voice your support in person, you still have time to let the EPA know your thoughts. Comments on the proposed Federal Plan and Model Rules for the Clean Power Plan must be received by January 21, 2016. More information is available on EPA’s website. 

Katie Bartolotta is southeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.

‘Tis the season – for public hearings

This year, PennFuture members have publicly testified on an array of issues before the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Members, staff, and advocates are countering the claims of industry polluters and communicating with policy makers. We're advocating for a strong state implementation plan to comply with the Clean Power Plan (CPP), stressing the need to address harmful methane pollution from oil and gas drilling, and developing the commonwealth’s state forest management plan.

The common denominator among each of these hearings is that your voice matters to environmental decision makers. 

Knowing this to be true, we encourage you to get involved with a hearing on the Clean Power Plan that is quickly approaching. The EPA is seeking comments on the federal implementation plan (FIP), the one-size-fits-all alternative to an individual state implementation plan (SIP). The FIP ensures that all states are brought into compliance and reduce carbon under the Clean Power Plan even if they choose not to take action. It's the ultimate backstop and disincentive for states that have no intention of submitting their own plan. 

While it's encouraging that the EPA is serious about achieving compliance even if states don't want to cooperate, it's essential to emphasize that Pennsylvania’s best option is to pursue a strong state implementation plan. 

Pennsylvania is well positioned to draft its own aggressive, flexible state implementation plan that puts the commonwealth on track for a zero-carbon energy future. While the FIP can mirror some of the positive elements of a strong state plan – a mass-based, trade-ready structure and clean energy incentives, for example – we should be extremely cautious to choose rigidity over flexibility. 

If you’re interested in giving testimony at this hearing or attending the kick-off rally preceding the first day of the hearing – let us know! We can help coordinate transportation, provide information, give feedback on testimony, and answer any questions you may have about the Clean Power Plan. 

Update: Clean Power Plan Rally

Thursday, November 12 – 11:30 am – 12:30 pm

Outside of the William S. Moorhead Federal Building

1000 Liberty Ave

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

REGISTER

Federal Implementation Plan Hearing Details

Thursday, November 12

9:00 am – 8:00 pm

William S. Moorhead Federal Building, Room 1310

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Friday, November 13

9:00 am – 5:00 pm

William S. Moorhead Federal Building, Room 1310

Pittsburgh, PA 15219

To register for either date – sign up online, via phone at (919) 541–0832, or email to Virginia Hunt at hunt.virginia@epa.gov.

Comments on the proposed Federal Plan and Model Rules for the Clean Power Plan must be received by January 21, 2016. More information is available on EPA’s website. 

Katie Bartolotta is southeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.

"Beat the Heat" with PennFuture and friends on July 30

This summer, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will finalize its Clean Power Plan -- the first federal standard on carbon pollution from power plants. This is big news and an historic achievement toward mitigating climate change. What's more, the rule is a step toward a zero-carbon, clean energy future. 

We need to show strong support for the Clean Power Plan, which will have significant public health benefits and will create jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors. It will also provide states the flexibility to implement plans tailored to their unique situations. 

Will you join us during your lunch hour to support the Clean Power Plan? PennFuture and many partner organizations will gather for rallies in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia to show support for the Plan. Bring a friend, hold a sign, and enjoy FREE ice cream. 

Looking forward to seeing you there!

When, where and more:  

Pittsburgh Rally:
Thursday, July 30: 12:30 - 1:00 p.m.
Courtyard of Pittsburgh City-County Building, 414 Grant St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219
Updated location: Courtyard at the Allegheny County Courthouse (Enter on Fifth St.), 436 Grant St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219
There will be a brief lineup of speakers and FREE ice cream for attendees. 
Please let us know you'll attend by registering on our website.

Philadelphia Rally:
Thursday, July 30: 12:30 - 1:00 p.m.
Outside of Senator Casey's Office, 2001 Market St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19103
There will be a brief lineup of speakers and FREE ice cream for attendees. 
Please let us know you'll attend by registering on our website.

Katie Bartolotta is PennFuture's southeastern Pennsylvania outreach coordinator and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @KatieBartolotta.

We rocked it in Pittsburgh last week!

The EPA came to Pittsburgh on July 31 and August 1, and it was a really big deal.

The agency has proposed a standard for limiting carbon pollution from power plants -- the source of 40 percent of such pollution in this country.

PennFuture's CEO Cindy Dunn speaks at Clean
Power Plan press conference and rally

PennFuture was honored to be asked to take the lead in organizing support for the hearing in Pittsburgh. Along with our environmental partners, including Sierra Club, we helped mobilize hundreds of citizens from several states who came to town to express their own reasons for supporting the EPA's action to cut carbon pollution from the filthiest old coal-burning plants across the country -- especially here in Pennsylvania.

PennFuture -- with the support of our members and friends -- turned out in a big way to weigh in with the EPA. Since we've blogged before about why the science compels us to act, this time around I'll share some of the personal observations of our staff.

• Our own CEO and president (and avid outdoorsperson) Cindy Dunn spoke at the press conference on July 31 about the need to act. Upon her return to Harrisburg, she shared this reflection: "It was gratifying to see so many partners come together for an urgent and necessary cause. It renews my faith that people of good will can give of their time and pull together for the critical issue of climate change."

• Jennifer Quinn, our central Pennsylvania outreach coordinator, organized a bus of activists who made the round-trip to Pittsburgh. Jen says, "I was amazed and heartened to see the large number of people who woke up very early, traveled great distances and, in many cases, gave up a vacation day to go to Pittsburgh and tell the EPA why the proposed carbon pollution limits are important to them and their families."

• Rob Altenburg, PennFuture's senior energy analyst, was on Jen's bus that day. Rob delivered our rather technical testimony to the EPA, and listened to other testifiers while he was in town. Rob writes, "While there were many good technical points raised in the testimony I heard, I was most impressed by the personal stories of how air pollution impacts people. One speaker I heard was a mother (and grandmother) was so concerned with her family's health that she skipped the Aretha Franklin concert at the Ohio State Fair so she could drive in from Ohio to testify." 

• Valessa Souter-Kline, our southwest Pennsylvania outreach coordinator, was heavily involved in the hearings. Valessa observed that "one of the most striking aspects of the hearing was the breadth of testimony. Listening to so many people speak in support of this proposal brought new depth to the issues at stake and made it clear that there is public demand for action on climate change -- for human health, the economy and to protect the environment." 

If you'll indulge me, I'll share my own thoughts on why it was important for PennFuture to work so hard to make this hearing a success: now is the time to act.  It was in 1979 (when I was 24; I'll spare you the math: I'm 59 now) that I had my first interaction with someone who was already claiming that climate change was hogwash. I've been working to engage and educate people about the reality of climate change ever since. We weren't sure of the science in 1979, but even then, it seemed pretty clear we were headed for trouble.

What if the country had taken climate change seriously 35 years ago? We likely would have already transitioned to a clean energy economy, with fossil fuels and all their attendant woes in our distant past. Of course it's not too late to act, but if we done so even a decade ago, we would have avoided unnecessary illnesses and premature deaths. Furthermore, extensive loss of property due to extreme weather events and damage to wildlife and the oceans could have been prevented. Let's not keep hurting ourselves. 

I'm tired of waiting, which is why we applaud EPA and President Obama's Clean Power Plan.  That's why I devoted myself to getting so many people show up in Pittsburgh to tell the EPA it's time to #ActOnClimate. And they're listening!

P.S. If you haven't had the chance to tell the EPA that you support the rule, you can do so right now by clicking here. (EPA is accepting comments till October 16. But why wait?

Joy Bergey is PennFuture's federal policy director and is based in Philadelphia.

Ready to #ActOnClimate? Here's what you need to know.

How many times do you really have the opportunity to be part of an historic event? Now is your chance! The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is holding hearings in Pittsburgh on July 31 and August 1 to accept public comments on its proposed limits for CO2 from dirty, old power plants. Power plants are the nation’s largest source of carbon pollution, which exacerbates climate change. These common sense limits proposed by EPA will protect our communities and human health. This is a BIG DEAL! There will also be a huge rally on July 31 conjunction with the hearing.

Surely you want to be a part of this so we’ve made it easy for you to get involved. We’re providing a FREE bus from the Harrisburg area to Pittsburgh on July 31 for folks wishing to speak at the hearing and for those wanting to attend the rally, and we’re also providing a FREE lunch.

Details

Bus

Pick-up site:   Target (parking lot) 
                       6416 Carlisle Pike
                      Mechanicsburg, PA 17050

Please park far from the building at the southern end of the lot.
We will be leaving Mechanicsburg at 6:30 a.m., please be on time.

 

We will depart Pittsburgh at 3 p.m. and should return to Harrisburg by 7 p.m.
There will be no stops, so please bring drinks and snacks. Buses are restroom-equipped.

Hearing

Moorhead Federal Building
1000 Liberty Ave., Room 1310
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

July 31, 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

August 1, 9:00 a.m – 8:00 p.m.

Since the hearing is held at a U.S. government facility, you must pass through a security screening and provide a valid picture ID (e.g. driver’s license or government-issue ID).

Please bring two copies of your comments/testimony.

We can send you suggested comments in advance of the hearing and are more than happy to work with you on your comments. In the meantime, feel free to review this recent blog post with talking points.

Rally

August Wilson Center
980 Liberty Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

July 31, 11 a.m.- Noon

There will be FREE boxed lunches available after the rally.  (Who ever said there's no such thing as a free lunch?)

Driving

If you are driving to Pittsburgh, you can park at the Grant St. Transportation Center.

Lodging

If you are looking for an affordable place to stay in Pittsburgh, please email me: Quinn@pennfuture.org.

Jennifer Quinn is central Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Harrisburg. She tweets @QuinnJen1.

Talking points for testifying at upcoming EPA public hearing on climate change

You've likely heard that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing, at long last, to limit industrial carbon pollution from dirty, power plants. The agency's Clean Power Plan is great news for Pennsylvania (and the rest of the world). It can only mean cleaner air, a more stable climate, and better health for all of us in the future.

Consider yourself hereby invited to testify at the EPA hearing in Pittsburgh on Thursday, July 31, and Friday, August 1. Anyone and everyone should consider testifying. You can represent yourself, an organization, your faith community, or your family.

What would you say in your testimony? Start by introducing yourself and where you live. State the name of the organization you represent and what they do, if you're speaking on their behalf.

State that you are fully supportive of the EPA's proposed standard, and that you want it to be implemented promptly and without being weakened in any way.

Continue by offering a sentence or two about why you care about action on climate change. For example, "My cousins lost their home on the Jersey shore to Hurricane Sandy, and unchecked climate change will only bring us more and more superstorms."  Or perhaps, "My children (or grandchildren) deserve as safe and stable a future as we can possible leave them, and climate change works against that." You get the idea.

Then it would be helpful to list some facts and figures about climate change. See below for a bunch of those that you can use.

Finish up by reiterating your support for the proposed standard, and thanking EPA for the opportunity to be heard.

Keep in mind that you are only allotted five minutes. so you will want to speak to the issues that resonate with you the most. (300 to 600 words total would be great.)

Bring two copies of your testimony (typed or handwritten) to leave with the EPA. And be sure to include your name and contact info on the copies.

So, register to speak at the hearing!

Please sign up now for a speaking slot on Thursday, July 31, or Friday, August 1. EPA should respond to your request within 24 hours, assigning you a time to speak. Please email me at bergey at pennfuture dot org and let me know what time you've been assigned to speak. And if you can't get to Pittsburgh, I can arrange for someone to read your testimony.

Talking Points......Feel free to use any of these in your testimony.

• Carbon pollution causes climate change, resulting in more frequent and increasingly violent extreme weather events, drought, sea level rise and other stressors that devastate communities, threaten public health, and destroy and degrade wildlife habitat.  
• Globally, we’ve now had 351 consecutive months above the long-term average, meaning a 29-year-old has never lived through a “cooler than normal” month.
• Wildfires, floods and extreme weather events like heat waves, droughts and heavy rainfall, are becoming more frequent and more severe. These changes are happening in the evolutionary blink of an eye.  This creates real costs to our economy, negatively impacts public health and puts stress on wildlife and the natural environment.
• Pennsylvania creates more heat-trapping emissions than all but two other states -- Texas and California, each of which have much larger populations.
• Pennsylvania creates nearly one percent of the world's total heat-trapping emissions, far disproportionate to our population. 

 The Public Health Impacts

• From the American Lung Association: "Climate change and ozone scientists warn that the buildup of greenhouse gases and the climate changes caused by it will create conditions, including warmer temperatures, which will increase the risk of unhealthful ambient [ground level] ozone levels....Even with the steps that are in place to reduce ozone, evidence warns that changes in climate are likely to increase ozone levels in the future in large parts of the U.S. To protect human health, the nation needs strong measures to reduce climate change and ozone." (www.lung.org)
• From the 2014 National Climate Assessment: "Climate change, as well as increased CO2 by itself, can contribute to increased production of plant-based allergens....Higher pollen concentrations and longer pollen seasons can increase allergic sensitizations and asthma episodes and diminish productive work and school days. Simultaneous exposure to toxic air pollutants can worsen allergic responses. Even rainfall and rising temperatures can foster indoor air quality problems, including the growth of indoor fungi and molds, with increases in respiratory and asthma-related conditions."   (nca2014.globalchange.gov)
• From the 2014 National Climate Assessment: "Extreme heat events are the leading weather-related cause of death in the U.S. Many cities, including Philadelphia, have suffered dramatic spikes in death rates during heat waves....Heat waves are also associated with increased hospital admissions for cardiovascular, kidney, and respiratory disorders."   (nca2014.globalchange.gov)

•  Clean Air Task Force provides terrific information at the level of counties and power plants for every state, including Pennsylvania. Go to www.catf.us/fossil/problems/power_plants and click on Pennsylvania on the map.

The Economic Impacts

• Between 1970 and 2006, U.S. GDP grew by 195 percent, even though we had Environmental Protection Agency and Clean Air Act regulations that significantly cut carbon monoxide, smog pollution, acid rain, and toxic pollutants like lead.  
• Setting limits on the carbon pollution causing climate change will spur investment and innovation in energy efficiency and clean energy technologies. The real economic risk is inaction. From 2011-2013 alone, damages from extreme weather events have exceeded $200 billion. Imagine how much of a cleanup bill we’d be handing our children and grandchildren if we fail to act now.  
• More than 90 million Americans take part in wildlife-related recreation, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Hunting and Fishing Survey. The outdoor recreation industry contributes $730 billion annually to the U.S. economy, supporting nearly 6.5 million jobs in communities across the U.S. and generating $88 billion in annual state and national tax revenue.

Supporting Points

• The EPA is using its authority, granted by a bipartisan vote of Congress, signed by a Republican president [Nixon], and confirmed by a conservative-leaning Supreme Court [The Roberts Court], to set standards for industrial carbon pollution from power plants, which threatens public health.
• Setting reasonable carbon pollution standards for power plants will cut the primary driver of climate change, which fuels extreme weather that threatens communities and public health with increasing costs and worsening impacts.
• Climate change deniers want you to distrust the science, and ignore the impacts and costs of climate change already being felt by communities and wildlife across the country.
• Big polluters want to continue to dump unlimited amounts of carbon pollution into the air for free, instead of adopting reasonable carbon pollution safeguards that protect public health and wildlife by slowing climate change. That’s wrong.

Joy Bergey is federal policy director for PennFuture, and is based in Philadelphia. She tweets @joybergey. You can meet her in Pittsburgh on July 31 or August 1 -- she wouldn't miss it for the world.

Making a city more energy efficient

This post is contributed by Ana Chirinos in PennFuture's Pittsburgh office. Chirinos is a Green Cities Fellow working with the Black and Gold City Goes Green campaign.

ReEnergize Pgh is a coordinated effort to reduce home energy consumption throughout Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. It is made up of non-profits, utilities, environmental awareness groups, municipalities, energy auditors and community organizers, all with the common goal of increasing demand for energy efficiency services. 

This year, ReEnergize Pgh started an Energy Ambassador program. It's a take on traditional block captains but with a green twist.  An Energy Ambassador is someone who has been identified as a community leader. This person has roots in their area and the capacity to inspire and motivate others. Energy Ambassadors share information about various sustainable initiatives. They also organize energy efficiency workshops, open house home energy audits, appliance exchange programs, and other green opportunities.

Energy Ambassadors work with PennFuture's Black and Gold City Goes Green campaign to coordinate Neighborhood Blitzes in their community. This partnership between ReEnergize Pgh and Black and Gold helps to further the community goals of the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan. 

There are 16 Energy Ambassadors in 14 communities across the Pittsburgh area. This is a widespread community engagement and education campaign, adaptive to neighborhoods of different demographics, and intentional about connecting people directly to energy efficiency resources. Energy Ambassadors are essential because of their ability to convey information in an appropriate way to people in their neighborhood. 

Overall, the mission of these Energy Ambassadors is to decrease energy waste, resulting in a measurable reduction in a community’s carbon footprint. While quantifiable metrics are important, the potential for community engagement may be the most important point in such a program. After all, taking a wasted resource and making it a community asset is paramount in the transformation to a sustainable community.

Blitzing the neighborhoods

This post is from newest climate blogger Ana Chirinos in PennFuture's Pittsburgh office. Ana is a Green Cities Fellow, working with the Black and Gold City Goes Green campaign.

The Black and Gold City Goes Green campaign is the community arm of the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative (PCI). What do we do? The PCI raises awareness and engages Pittsburgh's residents, businesses, government and institutions of higher education by taking concrete actions that reduce carbon dioxide emissions and air pollution and their impact on our local economy and human health.

The primary initiative of the BGCGG campaign is what we call neighborhood blitzes. We work with neighborhoods in Pittsburgh to distribute free reusable grocery bags full of energy and water saving tools to help people save energy and money in their homes and in turn reduce their carbon footprint. A group of neighborhood volunteers go door-to-door delivering things like CFL light bulbs, smart power strips, LED nightlights, etc. 

Blitzes have proven to be extremely effective, because of their ability to engage people in a community. It can be challenging to get people in-tune and interested in something as saturated and politicized as sustainability. The blitz model is unique because it goes directly to the resident and encourages personal interaction. The energy saving tools are brought right to the community, benefiting all those who choose to open their door! Residents have shown to be receptive and grateful to receive the energy-saving tools. 

Our hope is that providing people with these tools will not only help to reduce their energy usage, but will also encourage them to take the next step to get an energy audit on their house - thus making their homes more energy efficient – all in the name of climate change!