Thank you for giving us an opportunity to voice our opinions regardLUg new power plant emissions. My name is Tanya Roland. I was 

born in the District, grew up tn Arltngton and currently Jive in Falls Church_ I am not a specialist, or any sort of expert in the fields 

be LUg discussed today so I apologize up front for my limited knowledge. I'm merely a profoundly concerned member of humanity. 

When I was preparing this statement, I was floored to learn that the power industry has had NO REGULATION on carbon emissions to 

date. Are you kidding me? And this, the number one carbon polluting industry? Well, this certainly expla.ins A LOT! 

It's not rocket science to be able to understand and appreciate that we can't thrive, much less survive while poisonLUg our air. Humans, 

animals, flora, all living things share the same building blocks of nature; earth, water, fire, air and space. All living things (like the 

elements) are interconnected, Interdependent. This is easy to see. We desperately need a paradigm shift from systems that DON'T 

fundamental.ly protect these building blocks of life, (toxin spewing power plants, for example), to ones that do. We need to move from a 

view that we are better than nature to the realization that we ARE nature. ThiS Is wisdom in action. It is common sense. AJJy child can 

appreciate this. If our arrogance and ignorance keep us from this realization, things will get undoubtably get very rough. 

The current paradigm has no Wisdom. Wisdom would at best eliminate toxic concentrations of pollutants at their sources, and AT 

LEAST merit regular moratoria on dubious practices that can threaten our air, water, soil. 

Those who desperately cling to the status quo addiction to fossil fuels argue It Isn't the government's role to choose "winners". And yet 

we all know that laws and regulations are created to support some chosen industry, iSsue or activity for someone's benefit_ And this is a 

good thing. The enttre industrial revolution was able to manifest because the industries of coal, electricity, ga.s, steel, etc ... were all at 

some point given broad support. And one of the beauties of our government is that we can change course when It becomes SELFEVIDENT' that old practices can not and do not apply to current circumstance. The fossil fuel para.digm as 1S has run its course. 

One role of the government is to have laws that protect us from substances and practices that induce harm. The need to hold an 

industry accountable for poisoning the purity of the elements. and dramatically limiting their ability to do so in the first place is 

straightforward, and again, SELF-EVIDENT. Yet our culture ha.s been literally railroaded into letting these industries steer the ship 

and remain unaccountable for tar too long. 

I have no problem whatsoever with our rights to make profit. However, allowing power plants to gush toxic particulates forces 

everyone to ingest them. These substances also absorb into soil and water. No living thing is safe from them. By not restricting them 

(much less eliminating them), not only is everyone literally drinking the kool-aid, but the government ts in essence dishing tt out. 

If we continue to force a narrow view that strips unabated nature's wealth, she gets weak, ill (and we right there with her), and systems 

collapse and die. Civilizations throughout history have collapsed. overuse and depletion of resources iS a primary common factor. Our 

modern contribution to the historical formula are toxic poisons and deadly efficiency. Are we so arrogant to believe that we're somehow 

magically immune? 

Energy, health and medicine, agriculture, economy, .... are also interdependent and interconnected. If we examined and implemented 

these industries and practioes from a baseline of ecological protection, it would be so easy to solve many of the problems we face. 

It goes without saying that I fully support strict standards tbr new power plant emlBstons. And absolutely, emiSsions at existing power 

plants need to be dramatically regulated and reduced. 

Our legal system uses standards of proof called 'rea.sonable doubt'. While there lB more than enough reasonable doubt as to the dangers 

of fossil fuels, widespread chemical use, nuclear waste, nano particles, genetically altered products and other dangerous and deadly 

human made substances, we blithely allow them into our ecology, into our bodies Wi.thout making companies prove outright their safety 

on a long term basis beforehand. ThiS, to me, ts not only summarily unwiSe, it's suicidal. If we do NOT turn the ship, with everyone 

onboard, well, fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night! 

Tanya Roland 

Falls Church, 22042 

TeacherjartiSt 

5.23.12 

A few tdea.s: 

-Don't allow DOT to wipe out trees and ecosystems around and between roads. On the contrary, protect them and plant more. These 

help absorb harmful emissions. Same thing around polluting sources like power plants and building sites. I usually see, (especially in 

NVA) whole tracks oflivtngland bulldozed to put up roads, buildings and houses. Every little eco-system that we lose increases overall 

harm 

-Black absorbs heat. The maJority of our roads are covered in black asphalt. If we switch to white top the heat w1ll be reflected back out 

away from the earth. 

-Use all peacetime civll servants to plant trees .... billions of them, all around the country. It will brLUgjobs, educate the populace and be 

another blg factor in cleaning our air, water and soil, and give a boost to bio-diversity and ecosystem health.