What’s in your water?

		by Mary Anne Hitt Beyond Coal Campaign Director Tell President Obama: Heavy metals and toxic sludge don’t belong in our water! If you’re drinking a glass of water, you might want to put it down before you read this email. Burning coal for electricity produces ash and sludge full of arsenic, boron, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, and selenium. Where do you think it all goes? That’s right — the same power plants that are causing asthma with their soot and wrecking our climate with their carbon are also dumping tons of toxins into our waters. And without federal rules to stop them, those plants would keep on sending toxic sludge into rivers and streams, where it threatens swimmers and boaters, poisons wildlife, and wrecks ecosystems. Send a letter to President Obama and urge him to move ahead with plans for strong protections from toxic wastewater right away! Power plants produce more toxic waste than any other industry in the United States, including the chemical, plastic, and paint manufacturing industries. They spew millions of pounds of pollutants into our waters every year — toxins that are dangerous even in very low concentrations. Your drinking water is safe because we do a great job of filtering and cleaning, but our wildlife and ecosystems aren’t so lucky. The problem’s only getting worse as coal plants get older and dirtier. The EPA estimates that the amount of toxic wastewater from these plants is going to increase 28% over the next 15 years. That means more heavy metals and more toxic sludge in our waters — more contaminated rivers, more unhealthy streams, more poisoned wildlife. Tell President Obama that now is the time — before it’s too late — to give us safeguards against toxic wastewater. Let him know that clean water is too precious to wait another day! Every step we take toward clean air and water helps keep our communities and our environment healthy… and it also takes us one step closer to the clean-energy future where our nation finally realizes that coal’s real cost — in climate destruction, toxic water, and poison air — is simply too high. Thanks for everything you do to protect the environment, Mary Anne Hitt Beyond Coal Campaign Director P.S. Six letters are better than one! After you’ve taken action, please forward a copy of this message to five of your friends and family. Or spread the word on your social networks with the share buttons below.

Sierra club

 

	Help send a clean-air champion to the EPA Send 25,000 messages to the White House by morning! If the last couple years have taught us anything about the nuts and bolts of winning the climate fight, it’s that having the right person at the helm of the EPA can make a world of difference. By nominating Gina McCarthy to be the next EPA administrator, President Obama is showing America that he understands how vital this job is — and that he’s ready to take bold action against climate disruption. Thank President Obama for nominating clean-air champion Gina McCarthy and let him know we need to keep moving forward on climate! As head of the EPA’s clean air division, McCarthy fought hard to get strong safeguards across the finish line, and she was instrumental in placing emissions limits on new power plants and requiring better vehicle fuel efficiency. In his State of the Union address, President Obama pledged to direct his cabinet officials — including the next EPA administrator — to recommend actions he can take to fight climate disruption and move our country away from dirty fossil fuels. More than ever before, the EPA administrator will be a key figure in the climate fight, and McCarthy’s record makes her a perfect fit for the job. Send President Obama a message right now so he knows that we’re behind his choice for bold leadership at this pivotal time. Tell him thanks for nominating a clean-air champion! Under outgoing Administrator Lisa Jackson, the EPA has time and again stood up for our families and our climate when Congress was paralyzed by gridlock. She showed us an EPA that welcomed input from our communities and was willing to take on big polluters to do what’s right. And with McCarthy’s assistance, she set up the EPA to play an even bigger part in the climate fight for the next four years. There’s so much the president and his administration can do to confront the climate crisis. With the right team — and with support and pressure from the climate movement — he can make amazing strides in this fight. So tell the president that we support his nomination of Gina McCarthy — and show him that we’ll keep pushing him forward on climate. Send a message to the White House now! Thanks for everything you do to protect the environment, Mary Anne Hitt Beyond Coal Campaign Director P.S. Six letters are better than one! After you’ve taken action, please forward a copy of this message to five of your friends and family. Or spread the word on your social networks with the share buttons below.

CARE2

 

6 Worst Reactions to the Newtown Massacre The horror of the massacre in Newtown, Conn. is still fresh, and yet already, there are people out making fools of themselves in its wake. read more

Senator Feinstein Promises Action on Gun Control. Can Congress Deliver? Feinstein (D-Calif) announced she would introduce a bill re-instating the federal ban on assault weapons on the first day of the new Congress in January. read more

5 Reasons Raising the Medicare Eligibility Age Would Be A Disaster Medicare has been providing health coverage for older adults and disabled Americans since 1965, and it’s a bit of a triumph of social insurance. The… read more

Success! EPA Finalizes Tougher Air Quality Standards Late last week, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new air quality standards for fine particulate matter, or soot. This decision… read more

A big Win! and Thank the EPA

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
National Field Organizer
UCS Clean Vehicles Program

explore, enjoy and protect the planet …. Sierra Club

 

		EPA: We’ve got your back! Keep fighting for clean air! A U.S. Court of Appeals put the health of 240 million Americans at risk.1 The court sided with the National Mining Association, Big Coal, and the State of Texas to strike down the EPA’s Good Neighbor Safeguard to protect our air from toxic coal pollution. But, we’re nowhere near done yet – the EPA can push on and ask the court to rehear the case. Let’s show the EPA that there are 10,000 Americans rallying behind their efforts to protect our health and urge them to ask for a rehearing on the Good Neighbor Safeguard! Each year, coal-fired power plants spew millions of tons of harmful pollution into our air. This pollution doesn’t stop at state lines, and as a result people throughout the country are forced to breathe unhealthy air. The Good Neighbor Safeguard was established to help states cut the toxic coal pollution crossing state lines. This long overdue protection will prevent as many as 34,000 premature deaths annually, avoid 19,000 hospital and emergency room visits, and improve the lives of millions.2 Everyone deserves clean air and the chance at a healthy future! Tell the EPA we’ve got their back and that we want a rehearing on the Good Neighbor Safeguard. Big polluters have had the EPA in their sights for the last three years. This court decision is the latest in a long line of attacks from Big Polluters on the EPA’s efforts to protect our health. Things have gotten so bad, that in June Big Coal supporters actually threatened the safety of EPA officials at public hearing.3 Tell the EPA to keep fighting. Send a message and let them know we’re behind all their work to clean up our air! Thanks for all you do to protect our environment! Sincerely, Mary Anne Hitt Beyond Coal Campaign Director Sierra Club P.S. After you take action, forward this message or spread the word on Facebook and Twitter by clicking our handy share buttons below: [1] Forden, Sara and Schoenberg, Tom “Obama Curbs on Coal Pollution Rejected by U.S. Court” Bloomberg, August 21, 2012. [2] “Cross State Air Pollution Rule (CSAPR)” United States Environmental Protection Agency, August 21, 2012. [3] Anderson, Chris “Miners get vocal at hearing” Appalachian News Express, June 8, 2012. If you do not wish to receive future emails like this, click here to be removed from this type of email contact.

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 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.

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

Nearly 2million public comments in support of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Carbon Pollution Standard

First Posted on 6/15Friends, Make Your Voice Heard! An unprecedented event has occurred in the fight for cleaner air. This week, a broad coalition of environmental public health, and progressive organizations supporting clean air safeguards announced that they have collected nearly two million public comments in support of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Carbon Pollution Standard, which limits industrial carbon pollution from new power plants. Make your voice heard! Join us and say “yes” to a healthier future for our children and our planet.Never before in history have so many Americans voiced their support for a healthier, cleaner future – but we still need your voice to make sure that the final version of the rule is as strong as possible, and that the attacks from corporate polluters are drowned out. Every year, coal-fired power plants spew over two billion tons of carbon carbon and other toxic pollutants into the air —nearly 13,000 pounds for every man, woman, and child in the United States. Carbon dioxide pollution is a greenhouse gas that leads to climate change. One of the consequences of climate change is more smog, which harms human health. Smog irritates the lungs, spurring respiratory ailments and sparking asthma attacks. Children, seniors, and those with respiratory diseases are most vulnerable to harm from smog. A National Research Council study placed the health costs from coal-electricity generation, including a rise in respiratory illnesses, at $62 billion annually. With the proposed standard, though, a typical new coal-fired power plant would have to reduce its carbon pollution by 40 percent to 60 percent. Now is the time for action! Send the EPA a public comment and let them know that you support cleaner power and cleaner air. Thank you for taking action! Daniel J. Weiss Senior Fellow and Director of Climate Strategy Center for American Progress Action Fund P.S. Thank you if you have already sent the EPA your comments in support of the carbon pollution standard. Please forward this to friends and family to urge that they join you. Further reading: Carbon Limits Will Help Fix a Broken Energy Market and Spur Economic Growth by Adam James and Jorge Madrid EPA Carbon Standard Takes a Bite out of Pollution by Daniel J. Weiss, Jackie Weidman, and Celine Ramstein

Only 3 Days Left! … Mary Anne Hitt Beyond Coal Campaign Director

There are only three days left to tell the EPA that you support carbon pollution safeguards to protect our kids from asthma-inducing smog. 

In the last couple of months, more than 2 million Americans have submitted comments in support of the EPA’s proposal to protect our health — more comments than any agency has ever received on a proposal. It’s a huge accomplishment, but we can’t announce victory just yet — Big Coal is pulling out all the stops to stand in the way of the EPA’s progress to curb carbon pollution.

Join the 2 million strong who’ve taken action to stand up for clean, healthy air. Learn more about the EPA’s proposal below and submit your comment today!

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Tell the EPA: Americans Support Industrial Carbon Pollution Protections!

There is currently no federal limit on how much life-threatening carbon pollution can be spewed by coal plants — pollution that is linked to significant health hazards like asthma-inducing smog.

The EPA knows that 158 million Americans live in counties with unacceptable air pollution levels — which is why they are about to make history by proposing first-ever carbon pollution protections.¹

Tell the EPA that we support industrial carbon pollution protections so all of our families can breathe clean air.

Yet even before the EPA moves forward, corporate polluters like the infamous Koch Brothers align against us.

The Koch Brothers have been quietly using their billions for years to undermine efforts to address carbon pollution — all so they can continue raking in record profits spewing unchecked pollution into our air.

Big Coal and Big Oil billionaires are not in charge of our health: join the effort to send hundreds of thousands of message to the EPA in support of strong industrial carbon pollution protections.

When we’re united, we’re a more powerful force than all the corporate polluters and their money. We beat them last year on major life-saving mercury protections — and we’ll do it again and again until our air and water are clean. We’ll challenge them at every level — in the media, in our communities, and in the halls of government. Together, we can create a future that is cleaner and healthier for everyone.

Join me in ensuring the EPA protects our families from industrial carbon pollution — send your message today.

The stakes are high – if we don’t do something about carbon pollution, we’ll see more kids who can’t practice their sports outside, more seniors with lung disease unable to enjoy a walk outdoors, and more adults with asthma and other respiratory disorders who never had it before.²

With strong carbon pollution protections, we can move off outdated and dirty coal-fired power plants. Our country has 21st century clean energy technologies. It’s time to use them.

It’s time for a change: let the EPA know Americans stand behind cleaner air!

Thanks for all you do to protect our environment!

Sincerely,

Mary Anne Hitt
Beyond Coal Campaign Director
Sierra Club

P.S. After you take action, forward this message, or spread the word on Facebook and Twitter by clicking our handy share buttons below:

Another fossil fuel industry attack …

Write Congress Today! Tell your member of Congress: Don’t block vital standards for our health and environment—vote no on the Gasoline Regulations Act. Here We Go Again—Another Fossil Fuel Industry Attack on Science

 

The House of Representatives will soon vote on yet another fossil fuel industry-backed bill, attacking clean air and public health. It is critical that we stand up for strong standards based on independent science, not false economic claims from big polluters.
The Gasoline Regulations Act (H.R. 4771) is an all-out attack on our clean air and public health. The bill would force the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to give undo weight to the industry’s economic claims when setting what should be, first and foremost, science-based standards that protect our health and environment.
The legislation delays standards that would save lives and save money by reducing sulfur in gasoline.
The bill also attacks standards that would limit ozone and other harmful air pollutants from power plants and global warming emissions from oil refineries. Some members of Congress may even attempt to amend the bill to prevent the EPA from moving forward with their historic draft standard to limit global warming pollution from new power plants.
Fossil fuel lobbyists and their allies in Congress are attacking the EPA with false claims about the impact that these proposed standards might have on gas prices. But we know that this bill will have no effect on fuel prices, but would have a lasting, negative impact on public health.
Congress needs to hear from Americans like you who support the EPA’s efforts to protect our health from dirty energy and dirty fuels.
Tell your member of Congress: Don’t block vital standards for our health and environment—vote no on the Gasoline Regulations Act.
Take Action Today!
Sincerely,  Chrissy Elles Outreach Associate UCS Climate & Energy Program