Protect Health, Support the Clean Power Plan

March was Women’s History Month. A month dedicated to celebrating the accomplishments of women in our society—women who have sacrificed, inspired, and made unique contributions to the greater good.

During March I can’t help but think of an inspiring woman in my own life, my mom. A parent and special education teacher, she’s dedicated most of her life to keeping kids safe.

I’ll never forget hearing my mom talk about learning to care for my sister with asthma. She would stay up late into the night to monitor my sister’s breathing. On one particularly bad night, my mom quickly wrapped my sister in a blanket and ran barefoot to the hospital. At first glance the doctor could tell my sister was in near cardiac arrest—it took four shots of adrenaline before she could begin breathing normally. In my mom’s words, “it was terrifying.” But flareups, exacerbated by poor air quality, meant trips to! the ER would become commonplace.

That was 1978. In 2015, without bold action on climate change, scientists predict the future will be increasingly unsafe for our kids.

A girl born in the year 2015, let’s call her Louise, will see three times more extreme heat days than her parents. That means more bad air days, in which playing outside can be harmful to her lungs. And if Louise has asthma, her symptoms could be triggered more frequently. From swine flu to measles, there’s nothing more terrifying on the news than an illness that could leave your child life-threateningly sick. A recent study found that as Louise’s world warms, it will leave her even more vulnerable to new, infectious diseases.

Parents have a lot of things on their plate, but worrying about protecting their children against the effects of climate change and air pollution shouldn’t be one of them. That’s why we need to transition away from burning the fossil fuels that threaten our health an! d begin the shift to a 100 percent clean, renewable energy future.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Power Plan would help us do just that. It would cut carbon pollution 30 percent by 2030—and give states the chance to replace some of their fossil fuels with wind, solar, and energy efficiency. With wind now generating enough electricity to power 15 million American homes, and more solar panels going up every three weeks than in the entire year of 2008, clean energy is ready for the opportunity.

The EPA has been clear about the health benefits that will come with the Clean Power Plan, especially for our children and those who suffer from heart and lung ailments.

Under the plan, pollutants that contribute to the soot and smog that make people sick will be reduced by more than 25 percent in 2030 —avoiding 2,700 to 6,600 premature deaths and 140,000 to 150,000 asthma attacks per year. Reductions in carbon pollution and the associated reductions! in sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, and particulate matter that will happen as a result, will generate health benefits of $55 to $93 billion per year in 2030.

So what’s standing in the way? An entrenched fossil fuel lobby willing to spend millions to protect its profits, and their allies in Congress, led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who refuse to accept the basic science behind climate change.

To push back, we’re counting on New Hampshire’s own female leaders to make some history of their own. Senators Ayotte and Shaheen should vote against any Congressional attempts to weaken or delay the Clean Power Plan and the historic pollution standards it brings. Our kids’ future depends on it.

Sincerely,
Madeline Page
Environment New Hampshire