Alex Trebatoski 

4941 N. Wildwood Ave. 

Whitefish Bay, W.I. 53217 

414-708-0686 

aF treb:;tos(<; a>c:sbs'u.edu . ~—.~— _. 

Good Afternoon, 

My name is Alex Trebatoski, I am 21 and a student at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint 

lohn's University, and today I am here in support ofthe EPA's Clean Power 

Around the country we are seeing the effects of air pollution on our country. From climate 

change to asthma attacks, the negative consequences of air pollution everywhere. These 

consequences are not twenty or thirty years down the road but are right here, right now. There 

is no more pressing threat to the security of not just the American people, but alI people 

around the world then climate change and the negative effects it bring on. 

In my native Wisconsin, we have seen destructive tornados, increased rainfall, and strange 

temperature variations. This makes it hard to enjoy the beautiful places Iike Schlitz Audubon 

Center on the coast of Lake Michigan where I spent a lot of time while at summer camps and 

just enjoying a perfect day on the beaches of Lake Michigan. 

In Minnesota where I go to school, we have seen our share of extreme weather as well. Right 

now communities in Minnesota are still drying out from the floods brought on by 

uncharacteristically heavy rainfall earlier this summer. This just adds onto the extreme weather 

we had to endure this past winter with bitter cold and massive snowfalls, which caused classes 

to be cancelled because my school believed it was not safe for students outside. Extreme 

weather is on the rise around the country due to our changing climate. Fuelled by carbon 

emissions, climate change is alteringthe very nature ofthe places we live in. 

It is clear that all around the country people and communities are being hit hard by climate 

change and action must be taken. Stopping climate change is not about protecting polar bears 

or empowering an imperial presidency, but about insuring the security of everyday Americans. 

People on the East Coast who had to face Super Strom Sandy, the people of the Gulf who have 

to face a more active hurricane season, and the people of the Pacific Northwest who are having 
to battle huge wild fires. Government inaction and industry misinformation are costing this 

country dearly in both blood and treasure. 

The jury is not out. 

Climate change is real. Carbon pollution is a part of the problem. 

It is effecting us now. And something needs to be done. 

At school, we have just retired our power plants coal fired boilers. This is emblematic ofthe 

feeling around the country that clean air is something we need to strive for and that there are 

common sense solutions. If a small school in the woods of Minnesota can combat climate 

change, Washington can too. 

Luckily, while others in Washington are still twiddling their thumbs, the EPA has decided to take 

action. This rule is a huge step towards combating climate change and will serve as an example 

to the rest of the world. This is not just an environmental issue but a national security issue. I 

would like to thank all of those at the EPA who have made this rule possible along with 

Administrator McCarthy and President Obama. 

Thankyou