We’re assembling a ‘mountain of support’ that visually represents the broad public support for a strong Cut Climate Pollution Plan. This page features key voices from across America, in communities big and small. It includes climate advocates, environmental justice leaders, doctors, mayors, scientists, clean energy business leaders, and more.
Click the images below to hear what they have to say!
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because our future as a species depends on it. This standard will give us a fighting chance at staying on planet Earth. I urge you to take decisive action.”
"I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because cutting our carbon emissions is the most essential thing we must do to head off the worst outcomes of global warming. Time is of the essence! This standard will force carbon emitting energy providers to do all they can to limit their carbon emissions. I urge you to finalize these standards as soon as possible and fight to keep them when you get pushback from the industry and the Republican Party.”
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). People First Economy supports the strongest standard on carbon emissions because it is integral to the stability of our state’s residents to be able to safely spend time in the outdoors. Michigan’s economy relies heavily on outdoor recreation tourism, and the air quality is a significant factor in this industry. This standard will help support Michigan residents, businesses, and visitors, and will better protect the natural resources that attract people to our state. I urge you to adopt these standards immediately.”
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because this plan will allow our country to continue the work of the original Paris climate agreement and address emissions from power plants that were previously underway, opening the pathway to reduce pollution and deliver up to $85 billion in climate and public health benefits over the next two decades. This standard will help level the playing field across states and have a dramatic impact on national grid reliability, and ultimately on public health (for example, decreasing premature deaths, ER visits, asthma attacks, school absences, and lost work days). I urge you to take action now to protect the health and stability of our residents, especially those most impacted by environmental and energy inequity, by implementing the proposed new carbon pollution standards.”
Wende Randall, Director, Kent County Essential Needs Taskforce, Grand Rapids, Michigan
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because I strongly support President Biden’s plan to cut carbon emissions. We can see from this year’s extreme weather that climate change is accelerating, and we need strong regulation to change this before it’s too late. This standard will do that. Our organization is already working towards being carbon neutral. However, we need strong leadership from the government to make sure that power plants and other industries strive towards becoming carbon neutral. I urge the EPA to hold all states accountable for the pollution that is being caused.”
Nick Thompson, Director of Facilities, Sustainability and Planning, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan
“As a Florida practicing physician, I applaud the US EPA’s proposal to cut toxic air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from US coal-powered and methane-burning electricity generating plants. My patients in Jacksonville are already suffering from events of extreme heat. Many of them are elderly and many are low-income employed outdoors in heat-vulnerable occupations. Please listen to America’s doctors—Physicians for Social Responsibility, the American Medical Association, and so many more—and use your knowledge to forge even more effective ways to stop the burning of fossil fuels for electricity generation.”
Todd Sack, MD, Jacksonville Beach, Florida
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because not only would it be a relief for hospitals (because healthier communities don’t need to go to the hospital/doctors as often), but it would push towards building an economically strong Michigan. A clean state means: healthier people, more money put into strengthening the economy, and more opportunities. I urge you to please support the EPA’s Cut Climate Pollution Plan. It supports healthier people, a cleaner environment, and a stronger state.”
Hannah Craik, Founder, Salonvironment, Livonia, Michigan
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because my nonprofit’s daily work is driving greater adoption of clean energy in Michigan communities for greater health, for greater local economic benefits, for eliminating greenhouse gases from our energy systems. This standard will codify that clean energy solutions exist today, are viable and affordable, and the only thing holding widespread adoption of these is entrenched political interests favoring fossil fuels. I urge you to build on the progress that began with the Obama administration and is being accelerated by the Biden administration and by governors, such as Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan, and the day in, day out, work of nonprofits like my own that is making change in communities, helping them secure a cleaner, healthier, safer future with decarbonized energy choices.”
John Kinch, Executive Director, Michigan Energy Options, Grand Haven, Michigan
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because the critical condition of our environment, particularly air quality, has resulted in some of the most catastrophic conditions for all life forms. Poor air quality resulting from the use of fossil fuels has degraded our collective health. This will lead to increased respiratory illness and death. Our work in sustainable housing is based on the belief that an energy efficient home is also a healthy home. This standard will move our community forward with measures that will improve air quality which will result in improvements of health, particularly for individuals with respiratory issues, and a general improvement of our environment. I urge you to adopt the new standards for the benefits it provides including improving the environment and the detriments it seeks to reduce or eliminate: pollutants and toxins from our air.”
Jose Reyna, Executive Director, GreenHome Institute, Grand Haven, Michigan
“Carbon pollution is responsible for so many of the health problems facing the world today. Capturing and storing carbon dioxide or methane is potentially dangerous to human health and could have disastrous consequences for all human and animal life should the pipelines or storage containers rupture, as occurred in 2020 in Yazoo County, Mississippi, when a cloud of CO2 overwhelmed a small rural town there after a carbon capture and storage pipeline ruptured. Preventing CO2 from entering the atmosphere by phasing out coal and gas-burning power plants is of much greater benefit, in terms of pollution and greenhouse gas reduction, and far more cost-effective than building the infrastructure necessary to capture and store carbon and assure that it is protected from extreme weather and earthquakes. There is no ‘beautiful, clean coal.’ It is filled with impurities, such as lead and mercury, that contribute to pollution and toxic disease. Particulate matter, as this summer’s wildfires have demonstrated, can travel hundreds of miles and affect health far from its source. The harm to children is immediate and long-term, both in terms of their health and the state of the planet we are leaving for them. Make the most of the allocated funds: transition to clean, non-polluting energy sources and decrease the production of CO2 and methane, minimizing the need to capture and store them. Our children deserve our best efforts to keep them and their environment as healthy as possible.”
Michael Ichinowski, MD, American Academy of Pediatrics, Maryland Chapter, Lutherville, Maryland
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because it is an imperative. Great innovations have lead our world into unprecedented advancements. At the same time, those advancements have had unintended consequences, including; environmental degradation, the poisoning of our people and the disproportionate distribution of wealth. It will take new innovations to ameliorate the issues caused by old innovations. We must act now and forcefully to save our planet and its inhabitants. This standard will move us all into a preferred future. It will help ensure the energy needs for the future and improve the health of our planet and its people. I urge you to act bravely and move to implement these recommended standards.”
Nick Carlson, Director of Business Development, Goodwill Industries of West Michigan, Muskegon, Michigan
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because the neighborhood which I represent and other communities of color are often disproportionately impacted by the effects of carbon emissions and other pollutants. This standard will help support a healthier living environment for the most vulnerable in our communities as well as improve health outcomes for all. I urge you to support the EPA’s proposed plan for both the environment and the health and safety of our communities.”
Amy Brower, Executive Director, Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association, Grand Rapids, Michigan
“We extend our full support for the EPA’s climate pollution reduction proposal and emphasize the importance of strong community engagement in the implementation process, especially with Indigenous peoples. We also stress the importance of safeguarding Indigenous rights to clean and sustainable environments and the obligation of the state to consult with tribal nations in policy decisions affecting their lands and resources. As stewards of the environment, Indigenous communities offer valuable traditional ecological knowledge and are critical allies in addressing climate change. We encourage the EPA to adopt these comprehensive standards and to engage meaningfully with Indigenous communities who offer valuable perspectives and lived experiences in these crucial conversations about our collective future.”
Taylor Patterson, Executive Director, Native Voters Alliance Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because climate change leads to poor air quality and increasingly negative health outcomes, including respiratory disease, heart disease, and insect-borne infectious diseases. We have already seen millions of people across the U.S. affected by air quality from wildfires caused by climate change alongside the hottest July ever recorded, and our current standards for power plants only exacerbate these problems. This standard will ensure we have a planet in the future, protect our most at-risk and disadvantaged communities, and ensure that we all can live our fullest lives. I urge you to approve this stronger standard, so we can curb climate change once and for all.”
James Wilson, CEO, reUser, Middletown, Connecticut
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because given that we have just recorded the hottest July in history and natural disasters are quickly increasing in number, it appears that climate change is spiraling at a record rate. It is critical that the EPS’s draft rule is enacted to protect our earth. The rule will provide safeguards for public health, especially for the most vulnerable. It will help slow climate change. This standard will By protecting the viability of Mother Earth and public health we can expect our citizenry to be able to thrive rather than succumb to poor health and natural disasters. I urge you to do everything within your power to bring this standard to fruition to protect the earth and her people and ensure viability for both.”
Jacqueline Brayman, Ed.D., Executive Director, North End Wellness Coalition, Grand Rapids, Michigan
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because fossil fuel-fired power plants are one of the largest sources of carbon pollution driving climate change. The evidence showing the profound risks to the health and lives of all Americans from climate change is building. As a nurse, I am already seeing the very real effects of climate change on health in my community and the communities I work with.”
Cara Cook, MS, RN, AHN-BC, Director of Programs, ANHE, Catonsville, Maryland
“Carbon pollution impacts us all greatly, but particularly those in poverty. In order to achieve equity in its truest form, we must combat carbon pollution to our fullest extent.”
Joseph Mechling, Change the Chamber, Columbus, Ohio
"Climate change is already a significant cause of mental health distress. In the next two decades, it could become the single greatest stressor impacting mental health throughout the world.”
Robert Feder, MD, Climate Psychiatry Alliance, Hollis, New Hampshire
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because it is the right thing to do for the planet, and because, for 45 years, my family and I have suffered from consistent degraded air quality from the Consumers Energy Campbell coal burning plant 20 miles southwest of our house….even though the Grand Rapids area where we live generates relatively little carbon pollution. This standard will hopefully speed up the closure of coal burning energy plants everywhere in the Great Lakes region, replacing them with renewable energy generation. I urge you to implement the EPA standard in its strongest possible form!”
Thomas J. Newhouse, Owner/Principal, Thomas J. Newhouse Design LLC, Grand Rapids, Michigan
“I’m an MSN RN NPD-BC from Ohio, and I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) because its enactment would improve the health of the population. We need to reduce carbon in the air. These rules are the right way to do that. This rule will make it easier to breathe, and allow people more opportunity to enjoy the outdoors on warm days.”
Lucinda Cave, Nurse Practitioner, Lakewood, Ohio
“The health evidence is clear: Addressing the climate crisis is urgent. Our research indicates that climate change is directly impacting people with seasonal allergies and asthma due to longer and more intense allergy seasons. For those who have allergic asthma, seasonal allergies can be a trigger for allergic asthma. Asthma can be fatal. Over ten people die each day from asthma in the United States. This proposal from the EPA moves boldly to reduce climate pollution and is a step toward cleaner, safer air for everyone. AAFA supports this effort that will have a positive impact on clean air and climate change. We believe these standards will improve the health and well-being of people with asthma and allergies and all people in the United States.”
Kenneth Mendez, President & CEO, Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, Arlington, Virginia
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because we need to address the ongoing climate impact we are seeing, in the US and globally. This standard will help to address the global climate impact we are currently experiencing. I urge you to protect our country, and the planet, from carbon pollution.”
Jim Roberts, President, Jim Roberts Enterprises, Saint Joseph, Michigan
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because pure and unpolluted air is important to human health, and the next generation. This standard will clean up our air for our health, and the health of the planet. I urge you to put this plan into place quickly!”
Tyler Kanczuzewski, Vice President, Sustainability, Logistick, Inc., South Bend, Indiana
“Taking care of the environment now is essential to secure the future of our children and grandchildren. Therefore, I fully endorse the Biden administration’s proposal to establish stringent standards aimed at reducing climate pollution from power plants. There is no time to waste, and we must act now. As responsible legislators and community leaders, we must examine the facts and confront these challenges proactively.”
Ohio State Representative Latyna Humphrey, 2nd District, Columbus, Ohio
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because our future depends on reversing 100-year-old trends and supporting environmentally safe means of creating energy and reducing GHG emissions. This standard will allow our world to begin the much needed action to reduce climate impacts. I urge you to act now; we are already on an irreversible trend without immediate action.”
Roger Cargill, President, FinitePhoenix LLC, Mason, Michigan
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because we need to take immediate bold action to reduce the significant negative impacts of the climate crisis we are already experiencing. Stronger standards will improve the health and wellbeing of those living near power plants and throughout the country by significantly lowering harmful particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air. Reductions in GHG emissions will also mitigate the continuation and intensification of severe weather that is taking lives, devastating entire communities, and costing billions.”
Shawn Crowley, Co-CEO, Atomic Object, Grand Rapids, Michigan
“We honor our children and grandchildren currently left with dramatic changes in weather, sea levels, wildfires, drought, and floods.”
Reverend Craig Schaub, Parkway United Church of Christ, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
“It is not just about the present, but the future of our world and we need to take action before it is too late. This is more important than money, it is human lives."
Erika Pietrzak, Change the Chamber, Potomac, Maryland
“Recognition by the US population of the dangers of climate change has grown tremendously, and public opinion strongly favors action to address the dangers. Americans who think global warming is happening outnumber those who think it is not happening by a ratio of nearly 5 to 1—74% versus 15%. Over 62% say they feel a personal sense of responsibility to help reduce global warming.“
Mona Sarfaty, Founder, Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, Fairfax, Virginia
“As a Climate Fellow, an educator in a metropolitan area, and as a private citizen, there is not an aspect of my life that is not impacted by carbon and the pollution it brings with it. Minimizing our current output and mitigating the existing air pollution is essential to higher quality lives in numerous forms. A healthy environment makes a healthy population, and we need to act now.”
Samantha Grimes, Change the Chamber, Washington, District of Columbia
“The burning of fossil fuels like coal and gas for energy production releases significant amounts of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2), into the atmosphere. These emissions are the primary drivers of climate change, a global concern with far-reaching effects on human health, including the spread and intensity of infectious diseases.”
Shawn Depcinski, Clinical Pharmacist, Infectious Diseases, Ascension, Grosse Point Woods, Michigan
"Climate change is contributing to deteriorating air quality in cities like Milwaukee, impacting the health and well-being of its residents. The cost of inaction on climate change is staggering, amounting to at least $5,230 per second. The proposed efforts by the Biden administration to reduce climate pollution from power plants represent a significant step forward. It is crucial to implement the most stringent version of these standards to benefit our health, mitigate climate change, and support communities nationwide."
Langston Verdin, Founder, MKE Fresh Air Collective, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because as a climate advocate and someone working in environmental health and environmental justice, I see how critical it is in my community that carbon pollution is cut rapidly. It is indisputable: climate change is primarily driven by carbon pollution from the fossil-fuel industry. Climate change leads to poor air quality and increasingly negative health outcomes, including respiratory disease, heart disease, and insect-borne infectious diseases.”
Nate Rauh-Bieri, Co-Chair & Administrator, Grand Rapids Climate Coalition, Grand Rapids, Michigan
“Cutting climate pollution from power plants would benefit the health of all people in the US, brown and black and white–and millions other living beings as well. No human community is an island. We live within a web of life, and woe betide us if that web is torn by greedy CEOs and politicians–there is no going back. Heartbreakingly, kids know this. I just spent the weekend with a charming nine-year old friend who burst into tears several times at the damage to animal and bird and fish habitats where he lives, and the disappearing beauty of his world.”
Mary Baine Campbell, Professor Emerita, Brandeis University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
"Extreme heat, hurricanes, drought, floods and vector borne diseases like Lyme disease and malaria are all worsened by climate change and affecting everyone around the world. Greenhouse gas emissions from power plants are a significant contributor to climate change and we must limit these emissions as soon as possible. We need the EPA to protect the health of ourselves and future generations."
Gabriel Cisneros, MD, FAAP, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
"For years, the U.S. Department of Defense and our highest civil and military officials have classified climate change as the biggest threat to our national security at home and abroad. We know the unending demand of fossil fuels exacerbates pollution output, increases drought, worsens health conditions, and can be directly linked to the weaponization of war and economic instability. Within this decade Congress and government agencies must reduce US dependence on fossil fuels and dedicate our vast resources to oversee a nation-wide buildout of electrification with clean and renewable energy. As a Pennsylvania State Representative and a retired Air Force Colonel, I pledge my support of the EPA’s carbon pollution standards to reduce emissions from power plants."
Pennsylvania State Representative Joe Webster, 150th District, Collegeville, Pennsylvania
“For us, the Biden Administration’s proposal to cut climate pollution from power plants is a very strong start. Power plant pollution threatens our health and especially the health of communities situated near these plants. While the proposal is significant–we need to go even further. EPA must follow the science, as we do in Savannah, about the urgency and the reality of climate change.”
an Johnson, Mayor, Savannah, Georgia
“The Biden Administration has signed historically significant legislation to address climate change. However, as scientists, researchers, and advocates have pointed out, there is much more that we need to do in order to ensure that the U.S.’s powerful economy hits goals reducing pollution and playing our role in helping keep the planet’s warming within the 1.5⁰C target and mitigate the worst harms of climate change. The EPA’s plan to address carbon pollution must be supported in spite of the cries of dirty energy producers and their messengers and allies who would do whatever is in their power to put their profits over the people who will be helped and economy that will be strengthened and made more sustainable through the implementation of this rule.”
Gabriel Newman, Change the Chamber, California
"I take incoming calls at a medical clinic and there are too many people hurting and dying from pollution. Please set the strongest possible standards for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity production. There are short-term and medium-term costs that justify nationalizing our country’s energy sector if vested interests want to continue harming our communities."
Alex Kalfayan, Medical Intake Specialist, Wisconsin
“The goal is to protect our environment and ensure that our future children can grow in a clean air environment.”
Alphonzo Baker, Sr., DNP, MSN, RN, President, American Society of Peri-Anesthesia Nurses, District of Columbia
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because we are on the knife edge of possibilities right now. There is no more time to assess and test and waffle on the climate emergency. Policy plays a key role in determining our survival and ability to thrive on the planet. This standard will help to turn the tide on pollution that impacts human health and so many other environmental factors. We need the EPA to lead the way by setting the strongest standards possible. I urge you to consider the very critical junction at which we stand and take the road which leads us to great health, lowered emissions, and which will help pave the way to renewable energy, and to pass these standards.”
Janet Zahn, Co-Chair, Grand Rapids Climate Coalition, Grand Rapids, Michigan
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because higher temperatures are already creating dangerous weather events, including the Canadian wildfires that blanketed our area with smoke for weeks. Any action we can take today with solutions that are ready to be implemented will have the greatest effect and we must not wait. This standard will create a level playing field, supporting states like Michigan whose utilities have already committed to restricting carbon emissions. I urge you to finalize this standard in order to address our urgent environmental crisis.”
Danielle Todd, Executive Director, Make Food Not Waste, Detroit, Michigan
“We support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because we are in a climate emergency. Florida is experiencing carbon pollution induced extreme heat and we worried about the impacts on the health of our communities. As I write this, Florida could be breaking today a global ocean water temperature at 101F and we are extremely concerned that the proposal does not go far enough. We are writing to you today to ask that you please consider strengthening the final standards. The heatwaves, floods, and rising seas & temperatures deserve nothing less than a response that is bold to meet this emergency!”
Yoca Arditi-Rocha, Executive Director, CLEO Institute, Miami, Florida
“As a State Representative in the Georgia General Assembly, I fully support these regulations. In my district—unincorporated Norcross, GA—all Census Tracts are in the 80th percentile for airborne diesel particulate matter and in air toxics cancer risk, and at/above 90th percentile compared to Georgia for PM2.5 (or fine particular matter) air pollution. 25 percent of people are designated as having fair or poor health. And it’s not as if my communities, which are over 85 percent BIPOC or minorities and roughly 50 percent immigrants like myself, are in way rewarded for their disproportionate brunt of pollution, because the residents here also have the highest energy COST burdens in Gwinnett. So all of this, I hope, gives a very local perspective on why these proposed standards are important.”
Georgia State Representative Marvin Lim, 98th District, Georgia House of Representatives, Norcross
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because of its clear benefits to human health, social equity, ecological resilience, and local economies. This standard will help level the playing field and encourage Michigan to continue setting ambitious examples toward positive climate action. I urge you to be bold, provocative, and lovingly innovative in setting ground rules and standards.”
Sarna Salzman, Executive Director, SEEDS Ecology & Education Centers, Traverse City, Michigan
“Climate change and air pollution are environmental justice issues. People of color and traditionally underserved communities in Wisconsin are more likely to be exposed to harmful air pollution. They disproportionately bear the health, social and economic burdens of climate change and our broken energy system that continues to rely on expensive fossil fuels like coal. Once finalized, the EPA’s power plant rule will play a key role in reducing overall carbon emissions and helping us avoid the worst impacts of climate change. In addition to a strong plan to cut climate pollution from power plants, President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan must develop additional protections for communities that have historically borne the brunt of this deadly pollution and continue to live in the shadow of fossil fuel plants.”
Nancy Retana, Resilient Communities Program Director, Clean Wisconsin, Milwaukee
“July 2023 will go down as the hottest month on record for our planet. Drastic reductions of fossil fuel combustion is the critical adaptation that will limit the damage. The new EPA rules are great, but we must go further. We cannot rely on hydrogen, which will perpetuate extraction of methane, or carbon capture, which will burn more fossil fuel and require storage indefinitely. We must go all the way with solar, wind, geothermal, and battery storage.”
Michael Donnenberg, MD, Senior Associate Dean for Research and Research Training, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia
“I urge the EPA to enact the strongest coal and gas fired power plant regulations that they can. I am an epidemiologist and environmental health professor living in Phoenixville, PA, thirty miles outside of Philadelphia. We must do more to protect Americans from the pollutants from these power plants and especially in PA, where the power generating sector is listed as the third-dirtiest in the country, emitting nearly 80 million metric tons of CO2 in 2021.”
Kathleen Welch, PhD, MPH, Union of Concerned Scientists, New Orleans
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because I fully support the strongest standards for cutting emissions from all carbon sources by the Cut Climate Pollution Plan This standard will This standard will protect our local environment from harmful pollutants from neighboring Indiana and Illinois manufacturing and power plants. I urge you to I urge you to insure the protections of generations of residents to come by enacting the highest standards allowable.”
David Bunte, Supervisor, Chikaming Township, Michigan
“As a livestock owner in Nevada, I am deeply troubled by the growing impact of climate change on my animals. With each passing year, the scorching heat and unrelenting droughts make it increasingly challenging to keep my horses healthy and hydrated. The lack of water and poor air quality is taking a toll on their physical and mental well-being, severely impacting their quality of life. We must immediately establish strong standards to reduce carbon emissions from power plants in the Silver State and beyond. Doing so can mitigate the disastrous effects of climate change and ensure a better, healthier future for our precious animals and our communities.”
Mathilda Guerrero, Digital Manager, Institute for a Progressive Nevada, Henderson
“The EPA rules to cut climate pollution are a welcome step in the right direction to protect communities and ecosystems in North Georgia from climate damage. Power companies have been allowed to pollute our air and harm our atmosphere for too long. Power companies have shifted the burden of the pollution they cause on the public. We pay for this with more and more disease related to this pollution including the cost of medical care for people with asthma, COPD, and other lung disease. The power companies should be finding ways to slow down their pollution and stop placing all the costs on the consumer. Power plants must be held responsible for cleaning up their act. I urge the EPA to set the strongest possible standards to cut C02 pollution from power plants."
Bette Holland, Director, North Georgia Conservation Coalition, Dawsonville
“The United States must move quickly to reduce greenhouse gases in order to stave off the most extreme consequences of climate change. We are already experiencing extreme weather that will only get worse if we continue to fail to act. In addition, the worst impacts of climate change will be felt by the people who have contributed to it the least, which is a terrible injustice. I urge the US government and EPA to make the strongest possible plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.”
Jill Sohm, Associate Professor, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
"President Biden’s plan to cut climate pollution from dirty power plants is a strong start, but we need him to enact the strongest possible version of these climate pollution standards. I’m joining a broad coalition from around the U.S. to call on the EPA to not back down. As a nurse, I know first-hand the impacts pollution has on my patients. Our climate and health can’t wait."
Alex Dudek, RN, UW Health, Wisconsin
“I am in favor of the Biden Administration’s strong efforts to cut our carbon emissions to ensure that my daughter’s generation has a liveable planet. Cutting carbon in just ways that provide jobs for marginalized groups in places that are desperate for an economic infusion will help ensure that our transition away from fossil fuels benefits society as a whole rather than a select few.”
Anne Armstrong, Assistant Professor of Human Geography, Worcester State University, Worcester, Massachusetts
“Across the country and in Georgia, people in communities big and small are calling on President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan to enact the strongest standards to cut deadly climate pollution from dirty power plants. With a strong mountain of support behind these necessary protections, we can make a difference in the fight for clean air and a healthy climate for all.”
Jessica Mengistab, RN, Program Manager, Climate & Clean Energy Advocacy, ANHE, New Jersey
"Across the country and Tennessee, people in communities are calling on President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan to enact the strongest standards to cut climate pollution from dirty power plants. As a school board member, strong standards will protect students nationwide and provide safer learning environments for all."
Frank Johnson, Commissioner, 7th District, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, Tennessee
“I live in Phoenix, Arizona. We are experiencing a record 21 day when the temperature has exceeded 110 degrees. This is unsafe for healthy citizens, not to mention seniors who are experiencing homelessness. My work at Justa Center is to provide seniors who are experiencing homelessness with resources and services. I see the suffering every day. This proposed standard will help to mitigate these extreme temperatures.”
Dean Scheinert, Executive Director, Justa Center, Phoenix, Arizona
"Carbon pollution degrades our nation’s air, land, water, & climate which form the foundation for every American’s survival and prosperity. When we invest in our planet by preventing carbon pollution at its source, we are investing in a happier, healthier, & wealthier future for communities everywhere. These measures are not only a high-priority for climate action but also an easily implemented solution — truly a common sense decision to put this country on the path to success"
Evan Raskin, National Campaign Manager, EarthDay.org, District of Columbia
“I have been working hard to convince MA legislatures to put a moratorium on all new fossil fuel infrastructure. The Federal Government should do no less. The fossil fuel companies are like the tobacco companies. They have knowingly lied about the harms caused by their product. Their god is money. The US government should develop policies based on a higher calling to protect the health of citizens and to prevent the worst effects of the climate changes that are already harming millions of people in this country. Please do the right thing!”
Leslie Zebrowitz, Professor of Psychology, Brandeis University, Newton, Massachusetts
"President Biden’s plan to cut climate pollution from dirty power plants is a strong start, but we need him to enact the strongest possible version of these climate pollution standards. I am proud to join this effort to urge the Biden administration to finalize the strongest version of its standard to cut climate pollution from power plants by early next year."
Sarah Houston, Executive Director, Protect Our Aquifer, Tennessee
"Enough is enough. As a faith leader, I believe all lives matter because of the inherent creation given by our creator which is good. Despite the intention of creation, minorities, low-income, and indigenous populations frequently bear a disproportionate burden of environmental harms and adverse health outcomes—including the development of heart or lung diseases, such as asthma and bronchitis—increased susceptibility to respiratory and cardiac symptoms, greater numbers of emergency room visits and hospital admissions, and premature deaths because of their proximity to power plants. This impedes the overall pursuit of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness in shaping to sustain the Beloved Community."
Reverend Doctor William Edward Flippin, Jr., Interim Pastor, Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, Macon, Georgia
“Effective action on climate change mitigation and adaption is vitally important to protect our communities and especially those most vulnerable. Adopting the proposed EPA standard for power pllants is urgently needed and will help accelerate us on the path to a more sustainable and just energy future.”
– Karin Warren, Professor, Randolph College, Lynchburg, Virginia
“In addition to the very costly effects on human health, infrastructure and natural resources that we rely upon, I am very concerned about the accumulating loss of other species catalyzed by climate disruption. Drawdown practices must be widely implemented, in addition to drastically reduced output of greenhouse gases. A fossil fuel industry fund must be established to distribute the trillions of dollars needed to counteract their effects.”
Richard Feldman, Chair and Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York
"Across the country and Tennessee, people in communities big and small are calling on President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan to enact the strongest standards to cut climate pollution from dirty power plants. As a former Commissioner of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners, I am joining a broad coalition from around the U.S. to call on the EPA not to back down. Our climate and health can’t wait. It is time to act now."
Tami Sawyer, former Shelby County Commissioner, Tennessee
"The longer we wait to address the climate crisis, the worse the consequences get, and the harder it will be for us to adapt. We should have started decades ago, and we have a lot of lost time to make up for. That’s why we need the strongest possible pollution limits on power plants."
Tom Schuster, Director, Sierra Club Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania
“Strong measures to green the electric grid are enormously important for preserving a safe climate for the next generation. As an educator at Tufts University, this is an absolute top priority issue. In university communities, we are working on ways of transforming our work and lifestyles to fit a carbon budget, while still preserving the good we do in the world. These efforts need support at the federal level, especially on greening the electric grid. We are struggling to do our part, but we need the federal government to also act courageously.”
Parke Wilde, Professor, Tufts University, Arlington, Massachusetts
“As a mother-to-be in Nevada, I worry about the future of my child. The air quality in our cities is worsening due to the high levels of carbon emissions from power plants. The increased pollution is leading to respiratory issues and other health problems. We need to take strong action to reduce our carbon footprint and prioritize our families’ and communities’ health and well-being."
Shelbie Swartz, Institute for a Progressive Nevada, Nevada
“It is clear that these actions will reduce costs to society, increase equity, improve health outcomes, and help the lives of thousands of Americans. I strongly endorse this regulation.”
Stephen Bird, Professor of Environment and Energy Policy, Clarkson University, Potsdam, New York
"Carbon dioxide is the most common greenhouse gas with the longest duration of impact on our climate. The carbon dioxide released today will still be producing heat and the resulting climate changes when our grandchildren reach our age, if they are able to live that long."
Barbara W. Brandom, MD, Steering Committee Member, Concerned Health Professionals of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania
"We need the most robust standards to cut climate pollution from power plants that will protect our communities, especially our Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities who confront the heaviest health burdens from pollution. President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan must use every tool to protect our health by slashing the carbon pollution from power plants that are driving the climate crisis."
Charis Goff, Former Chair of the Board, Black Millennials for Flint, District of Columbia
“These plants produce roughly a quarter of greenhouse gases and are therefore an important source to regulate. This summer’s extreme weather events are clearly linked to climate change and will hopefully motivate our citizens to demand more effective action. It has now become clear that climate change is not a problem for our children and grandchildren. The damage is being done today, and it is more extreme than we could have guessed.”
Jeff Sellen, Emeritus Professor of Environmental Studies, Western Colorado University, Gunnison, Colorado & Salinas, California
"Dirty power plants are polluting our communities across Michigan and the rest of the country. The pollution is harming our health and fueling the climate crisis. It is time for President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan to enact the strongest standards to cut climate pollution from dirty power plants. With a strong mountain of support behind these protections, we can make a difference in the fight for clean air and a healthy climate for all."
Catrina Tillman, Executive Director, Revive Community Health Center, Michigan
“As a professional dedicated to energy and water conservation for most of my career, I am appalled at the lack of leadership, integrity and courage being displayed by our elected, appointed and empowered officials from local to the federal level and their response to this incredible threat we call climate change. The truly sad part of it is that solving it is completely achievable with current technology (and per haps some focus or boost) and that the solution would reap so many other benefits to society in the way of jobs, self-sufficiency and technology. It’s an epic failure, all because of corporate greed. African-Americans like myself all know the fallacy of profit at any cost but damned if we aren’t living through its latest iteration. Please support these efforts – or don’t – at the risk of your and your family’s peril."
Walter Williams, Director of Facilities Engineering, Tarrant County College, Fort Worth, Texas
"We must seek every opportunity to cut climate pollution as quickly as possible! The Biden Administration’s proposal is a start, but alone, it is not enough. We need the strongest possible rules to protect the health of our neighbors and our planet.”
Codi Norred, Executive Director, Georgia Interfaith Power & Light, Georgia
"There can’t be social justice without environmental justice. With a strong standard to slash climate pollution from power plants, we can take an important step forward to ensuring a healthier and more just future for our communities. In tandem, the Biden administration must develop additional protections for communities that have historically borne the brunt of deadly pollution from power plants and may continue to face power plant pollution. Our health and climate can’t wait.”
Wes Bellamy, EdD, Founder, Our Black Party, Former Vice Mayor Charlottesville, Virginia
“Cutting climate pollution would benefit the health of all people in the United States. Climate change leads to poor air quality and increasingly negative health outcomes, including respiratory disease, heart disease, and insect-borne infectious diseases. Children are particularly susceptible to the harmful effects of air pollution. Air pollution stunts lung growth. Air pollution causes and exacerbates asthma. There are components of air pollution that are carcinogenic. Given the life span of children, there is more time during which cancer may develop. Please strengthen th proposed air pollution regulations to protect human health."
Jerome A. Paulson, Professor Emeritus of Pediatrics and of Environmental & Occupational Health, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, Arlington, Virginia
“I support the strongest standard on carbon emissions from power plants, alternatively called the Cut Climate Pollution Plan, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), because we believe that the business community is supportive of decarbonization and celebrate how enthusiastically industry in our state has embraced the need, announcing their own reduction goals. The state’s energy portfolio is the largest factor in whether businesses and municipalities are able to meet their emissions reduction goals. This standard will ensure that the investments being made in Michigan do not put our state at a competitive disadvantage, and to ensure accountability for greenhouse gas reduction commitments. I urge you to reward best practices and companies that are already working to meet the sustainability expectations of their investors and stakeholders by advancing this standard. This is the right plan for the right time.”
Daniel Schoonmaker, Executive Director, West Michigan Sustainable Forum, Grand Rapids, Michigan
"EPCAMR would like to see carbon pollution reduced by planting more trees and riparian stream corridors on reclaimed abandoned mine lands across the country. We’d also like to advocate for more development of community-scale and grid-scale solar projects in our coalfield communities to reduce our need for increased fossil fuel extraction. Reclamation of abandoned mine lands can also keep headwater streams that are often pristine from entering the underground mine workings leading to downstream abandoned mine water pollution problems and the increased potential for flooding."
Bobby Hughes, Executive Director, Eastern Pennsylvania Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, Pennsylvania
"My hometown of Memphis, TN, is home to one of the more than 3,400 fossil fuel-fired power plants in the U.S. According to an article published by Scientific American, one additional death is predicted for every 4,434 tons of carbon dioxide emitted. With such dire public health risks, the Biden Administration must stop power plants from continuing this destructive pattern of ecological devastation that continues to sacrifice the health of our communities. All families deserve to breathe clean air, regardless of their zip code."
KeShaun Pearson, President, Memphis Community Against Pollution, Tennessee
"In Michigan dirty power plants are a large source of pollution that disproportionately harms low-income communities and communities of color. To protect our air and our health, the EPA must finalize the strongest possible version of its carbon pollution standards, including eliminating the exception for ‘peaker’ natural gas plants. Michigan deserves a healthy climate and a healthy future.”
Lisa Wozniak, Executive Director, Michigan League of Conservation Voters, Michigan
“Far too many children in the United States bear the brunt of pollution from dirty power plants, and that’s especially true for communities of color. President Biden and his administration have no time to waste—we need the strongest possible Cut Climate Pollution Plan without delay in order to protect our climate, and ensure a healthy future for all children.”
Kristin Shymoniak, Commissioner, DC Mayor’s Commission on African American Affairs, District of Columbia
"As a faith leader in Arizona, I call on President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan to enact stronger standards to cut climate pollution from power plants by early next year. Robust protections will improve our health and accelerate our transition to clean energy. Our climate and health can’t wait.”
Reverend Doug Bland, Arizona Interfaith Power & Light, Arizona
“For far too long, dirty power plants have spewed pollution across the country and into Georgia communities, harming our health and fueling the climate crisis. I’m proud to add my name to the mountain of support to urge the Biden administration to finalize the strongest version of its standards to cut climate pollution from power plants by early next year. As a women’s health nurse practitioner and nurse educator, I recognize the health risks of toxic emissions from fossil fuel burning power plants. Our communities need stronger standards from the EPA that will protect public health and address the climate crisis. Our climate can’t wait!”
Shawana S. Moore, DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, PNAP, President/Chair, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health (NPWH) Associate Professor, Clinical Track, DNP Program Director, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Georgia
"Here in Arizona we continue to experience significant impacts from the climate crisis—more extreme heat and drought, larger wildfires, and more stressed plants and animals—and we also continue to generate far too much of our electricity from polluting coal and gas-fired power plants. We cannot afford to wait any longer for actions to limit harmful emissions from these plants and need the Biden administration to adopt and implement the strongest possible carbon rules for power plants”
Sandy Bahr, Director, Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, Arizona
"In 2022, more than 60% of US electricity generation came from fossil fuels, of which 60% came from gas and 40% from coal; renewables only accounted for less than 22%. We cannot have a clean energy transition if the nation’s power grids remain dependent on coal and gas generation, which exposes frontline communities across these fuels’ lifecycles to harmful levels of air and water pollution. The EPA is in the position to drive transformative change in the American power sector by setting the strongest possible standards for greenhouses gases. Doing so will also help reduce emissions of serious co-pollutants to protect frontline communities. Simply put, these standards must bring an end to coal generation, enable limited gas generation (even with CCS), and above all encourage investment in the cleanest sources of electricity by ensuring fossil fuels are less competitive than solar and wind power in every state in our nation."
Abigail Martin, PhD, Visiting Professor in Climate & Energy Policy, University of California-Berkeley, Environmental Science, Policy & Management (ESPM), California
"We call on the Biden administration to enact strong climate pollution standards that will make a meaningful impact on climate. In Arizona, people of faith are calling for stronger protections from the extreme heat, drought, and wildfire that are impacting our neighbors across Arizona."
Melanie Beikman, Executive Director, Arizona Interfaith Power & Light, Arizona
“Across the country and Michigan, people in communities big and small are calling on President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan to enact the strongest standards to cut climate pollution from dirty power plants. With a strong mountain of support behind these protections, we can make a difference in the fight for clean air and a healthy climate for all.”
Michigan State Representative Donavan McKinney, 14th District, Detroit, Michigan
"As an ObGyn and member of Nevada Clinicians for Climate and Health, I am very concerned about the high levels of air pollution in my state. It would be great to have the EPA move ahead with an ambitious suite of safeguards—such as strengthened Mercury & Air Toxics Standards, a robust final Good Neighbor Plan, and stronger National Ambient Air Quality Standards for soot and smog, coal ash disposal requirements, and Effluent Limitation Guidelines—to protect my community from fossil power plants’ harmful air and water pollution."
Sandra Koch, MD, Nevada Clinicians for Climate and Health, Nevada
“President Biden’s plan to cut climate pollution from dirty power plants is a strong start, but we need him to enact the strongest possible version of these climate pollution standards. I’m joining a broad coalition of environmental justice leaders from around the U.S. to call on the EPA to not back down. People of Color, especially African Americans are at higher risk of climate-related health impacts. Our climate and health can’t wait.”
Deirdre C. Nieves, Professor of Environment and Sustainability and Anthropological Studies, Western Michigan University and Director of Climate Solutions at Western Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC), Michigan
"The preeminent Jewish value is pikuah nefesh, the saving of a life. While it may be hard to see this with our bare eyes, we know that strong regulation of power plants and other pollution sources save lives, and particularly lives of people who live near these polluting sources. This is what it means to be good neighbors. We Pennsylvanians need to count on the EPA and the Biden Administration to be reliable and accountable partners to implement the strongest carbon emission rules possible to protect our health and live out our most important values. This is a moral issue that can’t be ignored."
Rabbi Nathan Martin, Congregation Beth Israel, Pennsylvania
“As long as dirty power plants continue poisoning our air and accelerating the climate crisis, our health will suffer tremendously. Pollution kills, which is why I support the strongest possible pollution standards that will save countless lives every year. It is impossible for our citizens to thrive when they are breathing dirty and dangerous air and bracing for the next climate disaster. The time to act is now—our livelihoods, health, and lives quite literally depend on it.”
Kailey Kanaziz, RN, Michigan
"In Arizona, we are on the front lines of the climate crisis. The impacts of increasing temperatures and drought are being felt throughout our state by not only our citizens, but also our wildlife. Drought and rising temperatures are having detrimental impacts on our deserts, forests, waterways, and the wildlife that depend on them. If we are to get ahead of this and restore the amazing habitat and wildlife diversity of out great state, we must cut carbon pollution. I’m proud to add my name to the mountain of support to urge the administration to finalize the strongest version of its standards to cut climate pollution from power plants by early next year."
Valerie Morrill, Director At-Large, Arizona Wildlife Federation, Arizona
"As a pediatrician, I know that air pollution produced by fossil fuel-burning power plants contributes to asthma and other respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in my patients and their parents. Transitioning to clean energy would have dramatic medical and financial benefits in my state of Arizona."
Eve Shapiro, MD, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Arizona
"Addressing carbon pollution is the most pressing problem facing humanity."
Arnold Kamis, PhD, Associate Professor, Brandeis University, Massachusetts
“In recent years we have learned more about the dangerous health effects of coal and gas pollution. We now know that these dirty fuels cause heart disease and strokes, worsen asthma, increase the risk of dangerous birth outcomes, and likely cause learning and neurological problems. I hope the EPA will enact the strongest possible pollution standards to protect our health and reduce health costs.”
Joanne Leovy, MD, Nevada Clinicians for Climate Action, Nevada
“Last year, fellow legislators and public health officials called on the EPA to reduce air and water pollution from the Apache Generating Station in Cochise County, which uses coal and natural gas. The Station had committed 41 Clean Air Act violations over five years and daily water usage measured 1.6 million gallons. People are suffering from respiratory illnesses because of dirty power plants, and with Arizona’s drought condition we can’t afford fossil fuel power plants misusing this precious resource. In 2020, Arizona’s top 10 most climate-polluting plants were responsible for 82.6% of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions from the power sector despite only generating 45.3% of total electricity. As a veteran, I know the climate crisis has caused instability and wars. We need to stop greenhouse gas pollution that continues to fuel climate change. This is a national security issue. The EPA should enact the strongest possible limits on carbon dioxide pollution from new and existing power plants.”
Former Arizona State Representative Richard C. Andrade, District 29, Glendale, Arizona
"With prolonged drought and our fire season growing in length and intensity every year, our forests in Northern Arizona are being impacted by the climate crises at an accelerated rate. One of the most effective measures we can take as a nation, or state, is to cut carbon pollution. I’m calling on our administration to enact the strongest standards possible to cut climate pollution from power plants. With a strong mountain of support behind these protections, we can make a difference in the fight against a warming climate and restore healthy and resilient forests to Northern Arizona."
Travis Woolley, Vice President of Conservation, Arizona Wildlife Federation, Arizona
“The air pollution produced by fossil fuel-burning power plants contributes to many of the most common chronic health problems I see in my patients—including allergies, asthma, autism, and ADHD. They’ve also been tied to SIDS and to premature and low-weight birth. Transitioning to clean energy would have countless benefits for Nevada’s children.”
Debra Hendrickson, MD, Pediatrician, Nevada
"Climate change is already impacting our health, our livelihoods, and our children’s futures, and the threat is amplifying as we continue emitting greenhouse gases. The single most important thing we can do for the future of our planet and the people on it is to cut carbon emissions now, by all means possible. There is no more time for delay."
Erin Mordecai, PhD, Associate Professor of Biology, Stanford University, California
"We know that toxic air pollution and the climate crisis are interconnected—and we know that both are a danger to the health of our children, now and in the future. We need the strongest possible protections to cut carbon pollution from power plants to protect the health of our families, communities, and the economy."
Neha Pathak, MD, Founding Member, Georgia Clinicians for Climate Action, Georgia
"People matter more than polluters and we expect our leaders to approve the highest standards to reduce carbon pollution. No excuses."
Tawsha Trahan, Director of Environmental Justice, Unlimited Potential, Arizona
"As a broadcast meteorologist, it is my job to sound the alarm when weather dangers are on the horizon. Well, a larger storm has been brewing for quite some time now, and I would be remiss in not alerting you to that danger as well: climate change. It is making extreme weather worse and will further disrupt our lives, livelihoods and economy unless and until it is curbed. Thankfully, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will soon release new standards with the potential to significantly reduce the amount of climate pollution released by power plants. These standards will clean up our air and protect our health and economy."
Bob Lindmeier, senior chief meteorologist at WKOW-TV, Wisconsin
"The sacredness of people and planet is a value held in common across many religious traditions. Pennsylvanians of faith want to see bold climate action from President Biden and the EPA. Cutting pollution in the power sector and expanding clean energy efforts is an urgent and moral necessity. It is critical that we see the strongest possible standards enacted to protect our right to clean air and a healthy environment."
Katie Ruth, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light, Pennsylvania
“By implementing the strongest possible plan to cut climate pollution from power plants as soon as possible, President Biden and U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan can keep their promise to cut climate pollution by 2030 and be the strong federal partner our borough needs. It also is critical that in tandem with this rule, the EPA and the whole Biden administration develop additional protections for communities that have historically borne the brunt of deadly pollution from power plants.”
Brittany Reno, Mayor of Sharpsburg Borough, Pennsylvania
“Strong carbon safeguards from the EPA could give us a path to decrease asthma, cancers, neurological, and heart issues—medical conditions that Wisconsin families are unfairly suffering from across our rural and urban communities. Together, we can create a future that values our health, where everybody has access to clean air and water, and the freedom to thrive.”
Abby Novinska-Lois, Executive Director, Healthy Climate Wisconsin, Wisconsin
“I applaud President Biden’s proposed plan to cut climate pollution from dirty power plants, but the administration must secure the strongest possible pollution standards and protections for communities that have been historically hit first, and worst, by pollution and continue to live on the front lines of the climate crisis. The health of our communities and climate can’t wait!”
Reverend Brian Sauder, Executive Director, Faith in Place, Wisconsin
“Now we’re talking! Imagine actually requiring power plants to eliminate nearly all their climate-overheating emissions over the next couple decades. Thanks for proposing this, President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan! We can all imagine how polluting interests will react in this moment. But We the People can win! I’m calling on everyone in Michigan, and across the country, who wants a healthy future for our one, precious planet to speak up right now and build our mountain of comments supporting the strongest possible standards to cut climate pollution from dirty power plants. Together, we can clean up our air and begin to cool our Earth.”
Andy Levin, former Congressman, Michigan
“Carbon emissions are killing us. We need strong regulations and policies in place to cut emissions drastically, and as soon as possible. The EPA must do everything it can to protect our communities and home planet, and resist pressure from big polluters.”
Mandi McAlister, Organizer & Founder Hummingbird MKE, Wisconsin
"Arizona is in the bull’s eye of climate change, and our communities that are predominantly people of color and Indigenous are impacted disproportionately. Which is why I, and people in communities big and small across our state, want to see climate action, including strong standards to cut climate pollution from dirty power plants. We call on President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan to enact the strongest standards to cut climate pollution from dirty power plants. These protections can make a difference in our fight for clean air and a healthy climate for all.”
Arizona State Representative Andrés Cano, Arizona Legislative District 20, Tucson, and Arizona House Minority Leader, Arizona
"Nevadans know the importance of clean air and a healthy climate. We now generate 37% of our energy from renewable sources and we will continue to grow. The nation needs to follow suit, which is why I’m calling on President Biden and EPA Administrator Regan to enact the strongest standards to cut climate pollution from dirty power plants across the nation. All Americans deserve clean air and a healthy climate."
Russell Kuhlman, Executive Director, Nevada Wildlife Federation, Nevada
"For far too long, dirty power plants have been allowed to spew global warming pollution into Pennsylvania’s communities, harming our health and fueling the climate crisis. I urge the Biden administration to move swiftly to cut climate pollution from power plants."
David Masur, Executive Director, PennEnvironment, Pennsylvania
"Climate change is the public health issue of our lifetime and perhaps for generations to come. Extreme heat and air pollution are major concerns for everyone who breathes and particularly for those with lung disease. We need to act now to address carbon pollution to protect the air for future generations."
David G. Hill, MD, Pulmonary and Critical Care Physician, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Yale and Quinnipiac Universities, Connecticut
"Doctors and health professionals are already seeing health problems from climate change: heat illness, heart and lung problems made worse by higher temperatures, disasters such as extreme storms, wildfires, and floods that cause displacement, trauma, and PTSD. Climate change is causing health problems now. We need strong standards for power plants to keep it from getting worse. This will also make the air cleaner, and there will be fewer heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks, and other problems caused by air pollution."
Anne Mellinger-Birdsong, MD, MPH, FAAP, Mothers & Others For Clean Air, Georgia
"The climate crisis is driving a healthcare crisis. We need the strictest emissions standards possible to cut greenhouse gases driving this crisis."
Nicolaus Hawbaker, MD, Arizona Health Professionals for Climate Action, Arizona
“We need to start thinking about climate change every time we look at a young person. Regulating greenhouse gas emissions is the right thing to do for our present and future.”
Reverend Cindy Crane, ELCA, Director of the Lutheran Office of Public Policy, Wisconsin
"From record-breaking heat waves to devastating wildfires and droughts, Nevadans are already feeling the effects of the climate crisis on our state and our communities. We cannot afford to wait any longer. It’s time for us to take bold action to reduce carbon emissions, transition to clean energy sources and protect Nevada’s precious natural resources. The Cut Climate Pollution Plan will create new jobs, more economic opportunities, and a safer future for Nevada’s families.”
Assemblymember Lesley E. Cohen, District 29, Clark County, Chair, Natural Resources Committee, Nevada Assembly, Nevada
"Exposure to pollution emanating from power plants is linked to chronic conditions, including asthma, heart disease, COPD, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, low birth weight, greater risk of preterm birth, and higher rates of infant mortality and death. It disproportionately impacts historically underserved communities like those I represent. It’s time we bring environmental justice to these communities. President Biden can meet his commitment to a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 in part by ensuring the strongest EPA standards for coal and gas fired power plants happen. We have to cut carbon pollution, protect our children and families, and remove toxins from our air and water now.”
Assemblymember Howard Watts III, District 15, Clark County, Majority Caucus Whip & Chair, Growth & Infrastructure Committee, Nevada Assembly, Nevada
“In 2020 the total emissions from Michigan’s top 10 power plants were recorded at 38.9 million metric tons, which is equivalent to 8.4 million cars on the road for a year. While I’m proud to see our car companies producing more electric vehicles, our power plants are fueled by fossil fuels and continue to release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, which speeds up the climate crisis and harms environmental justice communities disproportionally the most. Global warming contributes to conflicts around the world. This is a national security threat. The EPA must enact the strongest possible limits on carbon dioxide pollution from all new and existing power plants for our health and security."
Gary Schlack, City Councilmember, Allen Park, Michigan
"In the coming decades, Phoenix will be unlivable unless we curb fossil fuel emissions. Heatwaves kill too many of our citizens every year, mainly in environmental justice communities that also suffer disproportionately from pollution. Our power plants are leading culprits burning fossil fuels, as we are home to 3 of the top 100 most polluting power plants in the U.S. In 2020 the total emissions from our top 10 power plants were recorded at 30 million metric tons, which is equivalent to 6.5 million cars on the road for a year. We have to end greenhouse gases emanating from power plants. The EPA must require almost all existing and future coal and gas-fired power plants to cut or capture 100% of their CO2 emissions. America needs the strongest EPA regulations possible to curb emissions from these power plants."
Yassamin Ansari, Vice Mayor & City Councilmember, Phoenix, Arizona
"As a small business owner in Nevada, I understand the importance of taking action on climate change. Extreme weather events, like wildfires and droughts, are already affecting our state’s economy and disrupting supply chains. By implementing strong standards to reduce carbon pollution from power plants, we can protect our communities and create new opportunities in the growing clean energy industry."
Reverend Leonard Jackson, Executive Director, Faith Organizing Alliance, Nevada
“Dirty power plants seriously threaten our health and the climate, yet these super-polluters have filled our skies with toxins for decades without consequence. The food we grow and the air we breathe continue to cause illnesses like asthma, heart disease, lung issues and cancers. It disproportionately impacts underserved communities like those I represent. In 2020, the 10 most climate-polluting plants in Georgia were responsible for 91.5% of global warming emissions from the power sector despite only generating 56.5% of total electricity. We must hold power plants accountable for damaging our health and climate. I urge the EPA to enact the strongest regulations possible to curb CO2 emissions from power plants.”
Georgia State Representative Park Cannon, 58th District, Atlanta, & Minority Caucus Secretary, Georgia House of Representatives, Georgia
"Pennsylvania’s power generating sector was listed as the third-dirtiest in the country, emitting nearly 80 million metric tons of CO2 in 2021. That was the state’s highest total since 2016 and its rising, according to recent reports. It’s totally unacceptable. The pollution is linked to chronic health ailments and affects environmental justice communities disproportionately. We must protect all the people of our great state. I urge the EPA to enact the strongest coal and gas fired power plant regulations that they can. We must save our people and the planet from carbon pollution that contributes to climate change.”
Joel Hicks, Councilmember & Chair of the Sustainability & Community Planning Committee, Borough Council, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
"Our last hope are incentives and regulations within a narrowing timeframe."
Thomas Wassmer, Professor of Biology, Siena Heights University, Michigan
"Climate scientists have been warning that we are nearing dangerous tipping points in our climate system, and cutting carbon at the source must be a top priority. We owe it to our kids and grandkids who have contributed nothing to this crisis and will bear the brunt of the impacts."
Sabine von Mering, Ph.D, Director, Center for German & European Studies, Brandeis University, Massachusetts
“Dirty power plants have spewed pollution into our communities for far too long, causing harm to our health and fueling the climate crisis. I’m adding my name to urge the Biden administration to finalize the strongest version of its standards to cut climate pollution from power plants by early next year. As someone who lived in the shadow of one of the biggest coal plants in the region and also one of the biggest polluters, and as someone who has seen the disproportionate and negative impacts on Indigenous communities, I understand first hand the importance of implementing strong standards that will protect our health and our communities, as well as aid in the transition to clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Its about time federal agencies do their job. Our climate and our communities simply cannot wait.”
Nicole Horseherder, Executive Director, Tó Nizhóní Ání (TNA) “Sacred Water Speaks”, Arizona
“Maine is often referred to as the tailpipe of America. We need the strongest regulations the EPA can provide to better health outcomes of all Mainers, many of whom suffer from asthma and other chronic diseases due to pollution coming from out-of-state power plants. The proposed rule would require almost all existing and future coal and gas-fired power plants to cut or capture nearly 100 percent of their CO2 emissions by 2040. Its time has come."
Maine State Senator Joseph Baldacci, District 9, Penobscot County & Chair, Maine Senate Health & Human Services Committee, Maine
"The EPA is giving us to the tools we need to start repairing the climate."
Eban Goodstein, Director, MBA in Sustainability, Bard College, New York
“Every summer/fall when smoke from forest fires makes Reno almost unlivable, I am reminded that climate change is upon us. I look at my kids stuck inside and I see the smoke seeping into the air of their schools and I am deeply sad and furious that this is the world they are growing up in. Basic carbon standards are low-hanging fruit for addressing climate change. Please, without delay or hesitation, pass these national air pollution standards. It’s frankly a ‘no-duh’!”
Kathleen Chandler, Co-Founder and Co-Director, Be the Change Organization, Nevada
"As a Black woman born and raised in the South, at the time of birth, I was already more susceptible to chronic illnesses such as respiratory and reproductive health issues. Now in adulthood, challenges such as carbon pollution still negatively impact me as a life-long asthma sufferer. This unfortunately isn’t an anomaly—this is the story of way too many Black, Latinx and Indigenous people across our country. In order to truly tackle the climate crisis and fully address environmental justice, it is critical for our elected officials and government agencies to prioritize addressing carbon pollution by establishing strict laws, rules and guidelines to protect public health and to save lives."
LaTricea Adams, President, Black Millennials for Flint, Tennessee
“We’re proud to see Nevada making moves to clean up our air. New restrictions on carbon emissions standards will help it happen faster.”
Sandy Koch, Citizens Climate Lobby, Nevada
“For far too long, dirty power plants have spewed pollution into Georgia communities, harming our health and fueling the climate crisis. I’m proud to add my name to the mountain of support to urge the Biden administration to finalize the strongest version of its standards to cut climate pollution from power plants by early next year. As a nurse, scientist, and educator I have seen evidence of how the climate crisis is already threatening the health and livelihoods of Georgians. Stronger standards will protect our health and our communities and also accelerate the necessary transition to clean energy. Our climate can’t wait!”
Roxana Chicas, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory Univ., Georgia
"As a registered nurse and Delawarean, cutting climate pollution is critical for our low-lying state. Climate pollution worsens sea level rise and as the lowest-lying state in the country, we are extremely vulnerable to extreme weather. As we saw in September 2021, Hurricane Ida contributed to the displacement of families through historic flooding. We need the strongest possible standards to cut climate pollution from power plants in order to protect our communities and our health."
Sarah Bucic, Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE), Delaware
"For far too long, fossil fuel power plants have been allowed to harm people—especially nearby low-income and communities of color—and the planet. Strong regulation of carbon pollution is long overdue, and this is one of the most effective ways to limit climate change and toxic pollution. I urge the EPA to pass the strongest possible carbon safeguards, and put people before corporate polluters."
Don Ferber, Wisconsin Sierra Club Co-Chair, Wisconsin
“There’s this idea that it’s too expensive to have higher pollution standards. The truth is though, that the actions needed to reduce pollution are actually cheaper than dealing with the health, economic and environmental costs of polluted air and water. It’s just that those actually responsible for pollution prefer not to pay the bill, instead letting it fall to those least able to pay the price. It’s time to be the country we like to think we are and implement the highest possible standards to protect everyone, not just those who can afford it”
Jackie Harrison-Jewell, Executive Director, Couillard Solar Foundation, Wisconsin
“We need the strongest possible standards to stop power plants from emitting carbon pollution that is driving the climate crisis, and to protect our health.”
Wisconsin State Senator Kelda Roys, District 26, Madison & Shorewood Hills, Wisconsin
“Pennsylvania has one of the dirtiest power sectors in the nation. As we continue to work to transition to a clean energy economy, we must reduce our emissions as a matter of both environmental health and public health. I urge the EPA to enact strong and effective standards to cut carbon pollution from power plants to protect our climate, our communities, and our future.”
Pennsylvania State Senator Carolyn Comitta, 19th Senate District, Chester County, Co-Chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Climate Caucus & Minority Chair of the Pennsylvania Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, Pennsylvania
“For more than a decade, people of faith and conscience have advocated for strong safeguards on climate pollution from power plants. Since then, the climate crisis has only accelerated, taking an enormous toll on human life, our communities, and our world. We have a moral obligation to protect our climate. We need the EPA to enact the strongest possible standards to cut climate pollution from power plants to protect our communities and our Sacred Earth.”
Rev. Susan Hendershot, President, Interfaith Power & Light, District of Columbia
"Power plants contribute roughly 25% of climate pollution in the U.S. The EPA needs to finalize the strongest possible standards to cut climate pollution from power plants to protect our health & our climate."
Pennsylvania State Representative Chris Rabb, 200th District, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Climate standards are at the intersection of so many issues: a sustainable future, our public health, our economic welfare, and more. We need the right standards to push our industries to prioritize environmental protections and public wellbeing when conducting business. On behalf of my office, my constituency, and my loved ones, I stand in support of the call on the EPA to finalize the strongest possible standards to cut climate pollution from power plants.”
Pennsylvania State Senator Amanda Cappelletti, District 17, Delaware & Montgomery Counties, Minority Chair, Pennsylvania Senate State Government Committee, Pennsylvania
“If no action is taken to curb greenhouse gas emissions/carbon pollution from corporate polluters, temperatures will increase 10 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100. Babies born in 2023 will be 77 years old in 2100. It is possible that this generation will experience catastrophic, irreversible climate change. Will life on earth be livable in 2100?”
Gail Syverud, Co-Chair, Wisconsin Sierra Club, Wisconsin
"The same dangerous pollution that causes climate change is having serious impacts on asthma and allergy sufferers across Michigan. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, our state’s asthma rate is higher than the national average, and three to four times higher in Michigan’s most polluted zip codes. According to the recent Asthma Capitals report from the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America, the Detroit area is designated as the number one worse place to live if you have asthma. There is no more time to waste or spend debating; we need strong regulations and policies that will address reduce dangerous pollution levels which will ultimately save lives and address the climate crisis."
Kathleen Slonager, RN, AE-C, CCH, Executive Director, Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America – Michigan Chapter, Michigan
"The EPA has the authority to regulate greenhouse gases. Power plants should be required to reduce greenhouse gases utilizing the best system of emission reduction. Enacting reductions in carbon dioxide will minimize the health effects of this dangerous pollutant."
Steven Ashmead, MD, Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action & Physicians for Social Responsibility, Michigan
"Climate change is a health emergency requiring that we reduce greenhouse gas emission in half by the end of the decade. If we wish to avoid catastrophic health impacts of climate change, the EPA must urgently set the strongest carbon pollution standards possible. It will save lives, reduce healthcare costs, and improve productivity at work and schools!"
Elizabeth (Lisa) Del Buono, President, Michigan Clinicians for Climate Action, Michigan
"NOW is the time to SHARPLY DECREASE the burning of fossil fuels, to decrease the major effects of air pollution on our health and to deal with our worsening climate crisis!"
Larry Junck, MD, Professor, University of Michigan Medical School, Michigan
“For too long, the fossil fuel industry has obstructed efforts to reduce pollution from power plants – one of the highest sources of carbon emissions in the nation. But now, the Environmental Protection Agency is moving forward to reduce this harmful pollution and put the U.S. on a path to clean electricity. Strong rules are affordable, achievable, and absolutely necessary to protect public health.”
Shannon Baker-Branstetter, Senior Director, Domestic Climate & Energy Policy, Center for American Progress, District of Columbia
"The Inflation Reduction Act was a historic investment in our stable climate future, but we can’t get there without tackling emissions from the power sector, and quickly. The proposed rule targets those emissions, enacting science-based targets that can be achieved with a diverse set of approaches. This is a historic opportunity to put the US on a path of global leadership on the challenge of our time, and in doing so, secure lasting benefits for public health, national security, our economy, and the environment."
Kim Cobb, PhD, Professor of Earth, Environment, and Planetary sciences, Brown Univ., Rhode Island
Michael E. Mann, PhD, Presidential Distinguished Professor and Director of the Center for Science, Sustainability & the Media, Univ. of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania
Alexander Rabin, Assistant Professor, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine,
University of Michigan/Michigan Medicine, Michigan
“Failure to address the climate crisis is simply not an option. We must transition to a clean energy economy, we must put an end to the fossil fuel industry, and we must protect our planet for generations to come. We’re pleased the Biden Administration is taking meaningful steps to address carbon dioxide pollution from power plants, and we will continue to fight for a rapid transition to clean energy to protect communities and the environment.”
Ben Jealous, Executive Director, Sierra Club, Maryland
"The science is clear: We must take urgent action to sharply curtail our heat-trapping emissions to help limit dangerous, even irreversible, climate impacts, and a decarbonized power sector is a linchpin in that effort. Until now, coal and gas-fired power plants have pumped out carbon pollution without consequence, as the toll on communities continues to grow, with the harm disproportionately borne by Black, Brown, Indigenous and low-income communities. The EPA has an obligation to address these pollution harms and environmental injustices by advancing just, healthy, and safe solutions—for people now, and for generations to come."
Johanna Chao Kreilick, President, Union of Concerned Scientists, Massachusetts
"Climate change is a health issue; cutting carbon pollution protects all of our health by keeping climate change from getting worse. We need this rule regulating power plants to be as strong as possible to clean up pollution and ensure a healthier now and a healthier future for all."
Lisa Patel, Executive Director, Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, and Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford School of Medicine, California
"For far too long, dirty power plants have polluted communities across the country, harming our health and fueling the climate crisis. I’m proud to add my name to the mountain of support urging the Biden administration to quickly finalize the strongest version of its standards to cut climate pollution from power plants. As a nurse midwife, I understand how stronger standards are necessary to protect our health, and the health of future generations, and will support the transition to clean energy that will protect our climate. Our climate can’t wait!"
Katie Huffling, DNP, RN, CNM, FAAN, Executive Director Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environment (ANHE), District of Columbia
"We welcome news reports that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is preparing clean air standards to curb the massive amount of climate pollution released from the smokestacks of new and existing fossil fuel power plants—the source of about a quarter of all our greenhouse gas emissions. Power plant smokestack emissions pollute the air in our communities and worsen extreme weather."
Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund, New York
"We must reduce carbon pollution to save lives. Carbon pollution accounts for much of the pulmonary diseases resulting in premature death and human and animal suffering. Save lives and money by imposing stricter regulations on carbon pollution."
Susan J. Holcombe, Doctor and Emeritus Professor, Michigan State University, Michigan
"As a professor teaching renewable energies, energy management and sustainable development for over three decades, I understand the science of climate change. We need the strongest possible standards to cut climate pollution from power plants. We must act urgently with strong regulations that will protect our economy, our communities, our environment and our health."
Debra Rowe, President, Change the Chamber, Michigan
"From the moment of conception until their last breath, we doctors know our patients are made more sick because we burn fossil fuels. Air pollution from fossil fuels has been shown to cause stillbirths, preterm births, delayed cognitive development in children, autism, asthma, heart attacks, cancer, strokes, and dementia. The EPA must set the strongest possible carbon pollution standards to safeguard our patients’ health."
Joel Charles, MD MPH, Family Doctor, Healthy Climate Wisconsin, Wisconsin
"We must swiftly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate more damaging effects of climate change. President Biden’s plan to cut or capture carbon dioxide emissions from fossil-burning plants is a step in the right direction, and the EPA must now approve a strong final rule that accomplishes these reductions and prevent climate pollution. I’m joining a broad coalition from around the U.S. to call on the EPA to not back down. Our climate and health can’t wait."
Arizona State Senator Priya Sundareshan, District 18, Tucson, Ranking Member
Arizona Senate Natural Resources, Energy, & Water Committee, Arizona
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