Speak Up On Climate Action with the Environmental Protection Agency

In the United States, power plants emit up to 2 billion metric tons of carbon pollution a year. This huge amount of carbon is causing climate change, dramatically altering wildlife habitat, and causing more extreme weather.

A coal fired power plant in WY. Flickr photo by gvgoebel
A coal fired power plant in Wyoming. Flickr photo by Greg Goebel
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking important action on climate change. They just proposed new strong limits on new power plants and they are working on limits to pollution from existing power plants.

Right now is your chance to speak up on climate action and support limits to carbon pollution!

Speak Up in Person

The Environmental Protection Agency is holding a series of 11 public listening sessions across the country to hear you speak up and say why you support limits on carbon pollution from our nation’s coal-fired power plants.

Power plants are the United States’ single largest source of carbon pollution. It is critical to wildlife and human health that the Environmental Protection Agency takes a strong action against carbon pollution.

Polluters and their allies in Congress want to delay and weaken limits on carbon pollution. By attending a hearing and speaking up, we can assure that polluting power plants are held accountable. Check out the map below to see if an event with the Environmental Protection Agency is happening near you!

Atlanta, GA | Boston, MA | Chicago, IL | Dallas, TX | Denver, CO | Lenexa, KS |
New York, NY | Philadelphia, PA | San Francisco, CA |Seattle, WA | Washington, DC

What to Say When You Attend

This is your chance to speak up on the behalf of wildlife. Here are some important tips for preparing to speak at the Environmental Protection Agency “listening session”.

Make it personal

  • Why does climate change matter to you? Use your comments to add a personal face to this national problem.
  • Climate change is causing more intense weather events. Have you been impacted by worsened extreme weather such as Hurricane Sandy, the extreme flooding in Colorado, prolonged drought in the southwest or other severe weather events?
  • Smog and air pollution can cause or worsen respiratory illnesses- including allergies and asthma. Have you or members of your family felt any of the negative health impacts of climate change? Or, are you a health professional who works with people who are harmed by air pollution from coal-fired power plants?
  • Climate change is harming wildlife and the outdoor places that we love most. How is a changing climate affecting the wildlife and outdoor places that you love?

Include a few key facts

  • Plant and wildlife species are shifting their entire ranges to colder locales, in many cases two- to three-times faster than scientists anticipated. Learn more on wildlife and global warming.
  • If carbon pollution continues at the current rate, scientists predict that higher temperatures will lead to major extinctions of 50% of species around the globe.
  • Coal-fired power plants release upwards of 2 billion tons of carbon emission each year—80% of all carbon emissions released from the electric utility industry annually.
  • The average US coal fired power plant is 50 years old and not operating efficiently; so standards that push the modernization of our electric power sector are long overdue.

Write your comments down

  • The time limit is 3 minutes. People usually read 150 words in one minute, so keep your comments under 450 words.
  • Bring two hard copies of your written comments to submit to the Environmental Protection Agency, with your name and contact info written on the comments. They can be typed or hand-written.

 

Take Action Button

If you can’t make it, still be sure that your voice is heard. You can speak up by submitting your comments to The Environmental Protection Agency.