LTE in the Decatur – Avondale Estates Patch
Clean Power Plan Will Bring Clean Air and Clean Energy Growth to Georgia
Written by Hilary Merlin, M&O Georgia Field Organizer
View the original here: http://patch.com/georgia/decatur/clean-power-plan-will-bring-clean-air-clean-energy-growth-georgia
In early August, President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency took historic action against climate change by establishing the first-ever limits on carbon pollution from power plants. The Clean Power Plan will reduce the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions as well as other harmful pollutants including sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, ozone and particulate matter. It is a serious commitment to mitigate climate change, which is now considered to be one of the most serious public health challenges of our time. Children in particular stand to benefit from these new regulations, as they are more vulnerable to the effects of both air pollution and climate change.
Not only does the Clean Power Plan represent a huge victory for our nation’s health, it means even more growth for Georgia’s clean energy sector and projected lower energy costs for all of us. Despite these robust benefits, the Clean Power Plan is not without opponents, particularly those with ties to the fossil fuel industry. On behalf of the more than 60,000 adults and children with asthma in DeKalb County, including my own 70-year-old mother, I urge our leaders to develop a strong state implementation plan for Georgia. Clean energy and clean air are essential for Georgia’s future.
