HomeMy Public PortalAbout060_010_Neca Stoller My nay e is Karen Grainey and B'm the Chair of the C..a ataB Group of the Geor is
Chapter Sierra Ciub.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to speak at your r7,eeting.
As the political leaders of a vulnerable c•astal community where sea level rise,
coastal erosion, and flooding from storm surge are serious concerns, you are
facing difficult challenges because of climate disruption. In the absence of strong
leadership on this issue from the federal government, local governments
including Tybee Island have taken the Bead on committing to and taking action to
reduce carbon pollution. B think you should be very proud to be one of the ten
cities in Georgia who have signed the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate
Protection Agreement.
Finally things are starting to change at the federal level. President Obama and the
Environmental Protection Agency have released an historic plan to cut carbon
pollution from power plants 30% by 2030. The Clean Power Plan is our nation's
first m jor action to cut dangerous carbon pollution from our largest polluters and
will help spur a clean energy economy that can drive down electricity bills and
create hundreds of thousands of dependable jobs.
I am here tonight to ask you to help demonstrate to national policymakers that
there exists in this country widespread grassroots support for taking significant
action to curb carbon pollution I encourage you to submit written comments to
the EPA expressing support for the concept of regulating carbon pollution. The
deadline for submitting comments is October 16 .
I would also like to invite you to attend the EPA public hearing in Atlanta. Only
four hearings have been scheduled and the first one will take place in Atlanta on
July 29 and 30. The Sierra Club is arranging bus transportation from Savannah
and overnight accommodations for only $5 per person. We are also organizing a
rally and a press conference to take place on July 29.
I can't emphasize enough how important it is to weigh in on this. The fossil fuel
industry, Georgia utilities, and the billionaire Koch Brothers are mobilizing teams
of lobbyists and funding astro-turf gr tups who are vigorously attacking this
proposal.
If you are worried about the future we are creating for ourselves and the
generations who will follow, the moment has arrived to step up to the plate and
do your part to counteract well-funded energy industry propaganda which falsely
claims that these regulations will kill jobs and raise electricity rates.
Quite to the contrary the Clean Energy Plan has many benefits. Here are just a
few:
• It will create 245,000 Jobs
• It will reduce electricity bills 8% by 2030
• Closing more coal burning units will reduce our exposure to particle
pollution and ozone and we will avoid a projected 2,700 - 6,600 premature
deaths and 140k to 150k asthma attacks in children
• For every dollar invested through the Clean Power Plan—American families
will see up to $7 in health benefits.
And here are a few facts ;bout the situation in Georgia:
• Southern Company is the third largest corporate air polluter in the United
States
• Georgia Power owns the 1st and 3rd largest carbon polluters in the Nation
• Plant Scherer, outside Macon, pollutes 21 million tons annually (equal to
4.5 million cars)
• Georgia Power has already announced retirement of Y of their existing coal
fleet. This gets Georgia halfway to the required 44% reduction called for in
the plan.
• In 2007, Climate Disruption caused $340M in GA crop loss and in 2011-
2012, Georgia received $480M in disaster relief.
CHI, ate disruption and extreme weather are already harming us, and if we fail to
act, the costs to our health, our wallets and our communities will grow.