Tag Archives: United States Environmental Protection Agency

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A big Win! and Thank the EPA


Union of Concerned Scientists

Big Win for Clean Cars

www.ucsusa.org

This is a historic week for U.S. consumers and for the future of our nation’s costly oil use. The Obama administration just finalized fuel economy and global warming emissions standards for cars and light trucks sold in model years 2017-2025, which will roughly double the fuel efficiency of these vehicles.

The standards will save drivers of a new 2025 vehicle nearly $8,000 over its lifetime, compared to driving a typical vehicle on the road today. In addition, the standards will reduce global warming emissions by as much as 270 million metric tons in 2030—the equivalent of shutting down 65 coal-fired power plants for one year.

These standards represent the biggest single step our country can take to reduce oil use, cutting consumption by 1.5 million barrels a day in 2030 and putting us on the path towards halving our projected oil use over the next 20 years.

Much work remains to get to this ambitious goal, and we will no doubt have to protect this hard-fought victory. But today we celebrate, and say thank you.

Thank you for being a part of the UCS community that contacted the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and White House more than 75,000 times to support strong clean car standards throughout the last two years. Thank you for supporting and defending these standards at public hearings, in local newspapers, and in your communities. We would not be celebrating this victory without you.

Now we need your help in delivering one last thank you: Tell the EPA and DOT how much you appreciate the finalization of these standards.

Send a Thank You Today!   www.ucsusa.org

Sincerely,
Rachel Cohen
Rachel Cohen
National Field Organizer
UCS Clean Vehicles Program

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Center for American Progress


Center for American Progress
August 10, 2012| View Online
Soot Pollution 101
What You Need to Know and How You Can Help Prevent It
By Jackie Weidman, Susannah Marshall

Image
Ask the Expert: How Reducing Soot Pollution Can Save Lives
Dr. Christopher Lillis explains why soot is hazardous to our public health, how it affects regular people and the benefits of reducing soot pollution through new Environmental Protection Agency regulations.
Watch the video here.

Earlier this summer the Environmental Protection Agency proposed updated clean-air standards that will prevent tens of thousands of premature deaths. The proposal comes in response to legal action calling upon the EPA to update final regulations for particle pollution. This rule is in line with the Clean Air Act’s requirements to protect public health and improve air quality.
Particle pollution, commonly referred to as “soot,” is one of the deadliest forms of air pollution.
This 101 details why it is essential that the EPA adopts the strictest rules possible to protect Americans from the dangers of breathing these particles.
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Union of Concerned Scientists


A Huge Show of Support for the Power Plant Standard The Environmental Protection Agency received more than 2.3 million comments in support of the carbon pollution standard, breaking its previous public comment record by leaps and bounds. Thank you for making history with us.

You Made History! The EPA Received a Record-Breaking Number of Comments in Support of the Carbon Pollution Standard

 

We all understand that carbon pollution from burning fossil fuels—the gasoline in our cars and coal in our power plants—are contributing to global warming. With so much of the country undergoing drought, heat waves, and other weather extremes, many are asking if climate change is playing a role.

The latest science studying extreme weather events over decades indicates strong evidence for links between climate change and extreme heat, intense precipitation, and droughts. It’s clear that the time for climate action is now.That’s why I’m so excited to say that, with your help, more than 40,000 UCS supporters submitted comments in support of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) proposed standard to reduce carbon pollution from new power plants.

Not only did UCS surpass our goal of 40,000 comments, but together with a broad coalition of public health, environmental, labor, faith, and other organizations, we made history and broke a record! More than 2.3 million citizens across the country submitted comments to the EPA in support of the carbon pollution standard.

This is the most comments the EPA has ever received on a proposed standard, and demonstrates the widespread public support for the EPA’s efforts to protect our health and clean up dirty power plants. In addition, UCS staff and members of the UCS Science Network—including doctors, nurses, and economists—testified in support of the standard at hearings in Chicago and Washington, DC. We also released a letter from 372 public health professionals who back the EPA’s efforts to address climate change.

This was truly an unprecedented showing of support for action to limit carbon emissions from power plants. Now, we’re ready for the next step.

We expect the EPA to finalize its standard for new power plants this year and then to follow up with similarly strong standards to limit carbon pollution from existing power plants—like our nation’s oldest and dirtiest coal fired power plants—which accounts for about 40 percent of our global warming emissions.

Unfortunately, some lawmakers have already announced that they plan to introduce legislation to block or delay this historic standard as soon as it is finalized this year. But I know I can count on you to help defend the EPA’s standard from congressional attacks in the coming months.

Thank you for helping make this a big success! The EPA has heard loud and clear that the country is ready to meet the climate challenge—and that this is only the first, small step towards protecting our health and the environment from the impacts of global warming.

Sincerely,

Chrissy Elles Outreach Associate UCS Climate & Energy Program

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Breaking: NRA in Court to Stop Protections to Condors, Eagles


 


Bald eagle
The NRA just attacked protections for bald eagles and other wildlife. Help us fight back.

 July 31, 2012

Just moments ago the National Rifle Association took legal action to block the EPA from protecting wildlife and people from being poisoned by lead hunting ammunition left in the wild.

Today’s legal action challenges the Center for Biological Diversity‘s suit, filed last month with allies, to get the EPA to finally regulate toxic lead in hunting ammunition.

These outrageous attacks need to stop. Please make an emergency gift today and help us stand up to the NRA’s assault on wildlife.

As I’ve written to you over the past two weeks, millions of birds are needlessly poisoned every year by toxic lead ammo left in the wild, including bald eagles, swans and endangered California condors.

Under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act, the EPA has the authority to stop this lead-poisoning epidemic with common-sense solutions — but the NRA is using its muscle to throw up roadblocks to any new safeguards.

The NRA is bound and determined to keep the EPA from doing its job in protecting the millions of birds who die every year after being painfully poisoned by lead bullet fragments.

That’s why we need your urgent support now with a gift to our Condor Defense Fund. Help defend the EPA’s ability to regulate this deadly toxin and ensure not one more condor, swan or bald eagle is poisoned by lead bullets.

The Center has been working since 2004 to end the preventable lead poisoning of birds and reduce health risks for people eating lead-shot game.

Lead poisoning is the leading cause of death for America‘s ancient, critically endangered condors. Please make your gift today to stand up to the NRA and protect these extraordinary birds, along with other wildlife, threatened by lead poisoning.

We’ve faced this challenge before and know the NRA will stop at nothing to keep us from protecting endangered wildlife — so we’re in for a bare-knuckle fight.

Thank you for standing with us,

Kieran Suckling
Kierán Suckling
Executive Director
Center for Biological Diversity

P.S. The best way to protect millions of birds and animals from lead poisoning is to stop the NRA’s attack in the courts and continue our work to end the needless deaths of condors and other wildlife once and for all by getting lead out of our environment. I hope you’ll consider a generous gift today.

 

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The greatest number of comments ever received


We recently joined our allies in the climate movement to drop off more than 2.1 million statements in support of the first-ever limit on carbon pollution in the United States.

Millions of people like you sent a clear message: We know climate change is happening. And it’s time for our leaders to do something about it — now.

But you can be sure that well-funded oil and coal companies will do everything in their power to stop this from happening. And I hope you will help us fight back.

Donate $5 today to help The Climate Reality Project fight for even stronger limits on dangerous, climate-altering pollution.

We joined forces with allies from across the country to deliver more than 2.1 million statements of support for the EPA‘s historic limits on carbon pollution. As Assistant Administrator Gina McCarthy told us, “You say 2 million casually, but that’s a lot of people.”

2.1 million is the greatest number of comments ever received for an environmental regulation in history. 2.1 million comments filled more than 50 boxes on the steps of the EPA. To give you some perspective, 2.1 million people couldn’t fit in all of the sports stadiums in the United States.

But you and I both know we need to keep the pressure on the fossil fuel industry and the well-funded interests that deny the reality of climate change.

I’m writing this from my home state, Colorado — where right now, there are nearly unimaginable forest fires we can see right out the window. A winter with little snow, record-high temperatures and a prolonged drought have combined to fuel some of the largest fires in the state’s history.

Here’s what’s even more alarming: Scientists say that as climate change accelerates, we can expect the risk of destructive fires to increase here in the West and all over the world.

That’s why we can’t just talk about climate change. We need to call on our leaders to take action — and we can’t wait any longer.

Join the 2.1 million voices in support of historic limits on carbon pollution. Help us keep up the fight, and donate $5 to The Climate Reality Project today.

http://forms.climaterealityproject.org/epa-donate

Thanks for all you do,

Maggie L. Fox  President and CEO  The Climate Reality Project