FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 3, 2015
Contact: Sandy Bahr, Sierra Club – sandy.bahr@sierraclub.org, (602) 999-5790
Shane Levy, Sierra Club – shane.levy@sierraclub.org, (201) 679-9507
Arizonans Applaud First-Ever Plan To Curb Carbon Pollution
Phoenix - Arizona medical professionals and public health advocates, faith leaders, clean energy business leaders and many more today applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for finalizing the first-ever national protections from dangerous carbon pollution from existing power plants. These new standards will advance the growth of clean, renewable energy and clean up Arizona power plants, which emit life-threatening air pollution including mercury, soot, and smog in addition to climate-disrupting carbon pollution.
“The Clean Power Plan isn’t just a program to help stabilize the climate and modernize our energy sources, it is also a valuable investment in Americans’ health and well-being,” said Barbara H. Warren, MD, MPH Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Arizona Chapter. “Specifically, it presents an opportunity for states to protect the health of families in all communities by reducing the dangerous industrial carbon pollution that triggers asthma attacks, heart attacks and premature deaths. Moreover, Americans already face the impacts of climate change. Taking action now can save lives and improve public health in communities across the country. Our State and our Governor should seize the opportunity they have to lead the nation and our State in innovation, job creation, and public health protections.”
“Climate disruption is one of the greatest moral issues we face and action now is imperative, which is why the release of the Clean Power Plan and its timely implementation is essential,” said Doug Bland, executive director, Arizona Interfaith Power and Light. “Both here in Arizona and worldwide, our most vulnerable populations will be the hardest-hit by impacts of climate change, including drought, disease, higher temperatures, and extreme weather. EPA's Clean Power Plan represents a much-needed step toward curbing carbon pollution in Arizona and throughout the United States.”
Carbon pollution causes climate disruption and is already costing American communities billions of dollars from flooding, super-storms, wildfires, and extreme heat. Arizona and the Southwest have been hard hit by the impacts of climate disruption including droughts, fires, and floods. Climate disruption has cost Arizona nearly $500 million in federal disaster aid in 2011 and 2012 to cover the costs of extreme weather events, according a report conducted by the Center for American Progress.
“Public health is at risk because rising temperatures will produce more illnesses and deaths from excessive heat, increased air pollution from ozone and particulates, water and insect-borne diseases, drought that affects the food supply, and threats to essential infrastructure such as transportation, drinking water and power systems from extreme weather events like Hurricane Katrina," said Barbara Burkholder of the Arizona Asthma Coalition.
In 2014, a national committee of experts in agriculture, climate science, commerce, and disaster relief released the National Climate Assessment (NCA) at the White House. The report predicts Arizona can expect even more heat waves, more extreme and sustained droughts, and poorer air and water quality in the decades ahead, all of which threaten the health and security of Arizona families and businesses.
“Today marks the end of an era for dirty power plants that have spewed dangerous pollution into our air without limits for too long. It signifies a new era of growth for affordable and safe clean energy sources that don’t fuel climate disruption and sicken our communities,” said Sandy Bahr, Director of the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter in Arizona. “Here in Arizona, we have an enormous opportunity to transition to an economy powered by clean, renewable energy such as solar. Our public officials should stand with countless Arizonans throughout our state by siding with more clean energy jobs and cleaner air and water by supporting the Clean Power Plan.
Arizona created more than 600 new jobs in the state’s growing solar industry last year, according to a report released earlier this year by The Solar Foundation. Despite industry attempts to stifle the state’s solar industry and access to energy choice, Arizona saw 7.2% job growth in solar from 2013 to 2014 and ranks third nationally in total number of solar jobs.
“As a dad and the owner of SunHarvest Solar, I am committed to supplying as much clean, renewable energy to others as I possibly can. For our customers, for our planet, and for our children's future. We MUST act on climate-and clean energy is a necessity,” said Brandon Cheshire, director of production at SunHarvest Solar.
More than 70% of Arizonans believe that the government should limit dangerous greenhouse gas emissions created by polluting industries, according to a polling report released in 2013 by Rep. Henry A. Waxman (CA) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), co-chairs of the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change.
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