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Testimony: The Clean Power Plan Proposed Rule, Robert D. Brown phd 

Docket #: EPA-HQ-OAR-2013-0602 

Good day, my name is Robert D. Brown. I hold a PHD in Wildlife Biology and Wildlife 

Management. I recently retired as Dean of the College of Natural Resources at NC State 

University, have served as President of The Wildlife Society, have served as Education Chair of 

the Boone and Crocket Club and currently serve on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina 

Wildlife Federation. 

This month our news media abounds with the debate over the new rules posted by the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) governing carbon pollution by existing power plants 

and the Clean Power Plan. The administration is promoting these rules as a means of improving 

air quality and human health, yet somewhat downplaying the impact on climate change. 

Apparently we still have climate change deniers in both our state and federal legislatures who 

will oppose these new rules. But that accelerated global warming is happening, and that we 

humans caused it is irrefutable. We've all read about the impacts of climate change on sea level 

rise, warming and acidification of the ocean, droughts, floods, wildfires, and more severe and 

unpredictable storms (my daughter-in-law calls this "Global Weirding"). But wildlife biologists 

in the field are also now detailing the current and future impacts on our wildlife resources. 

The North Carolina Wildlife Federation (NCWF) and National Wildlife Federation 

(NWF) recently hosted a"Wildlife Habitat and Networking Roundtable" in Huntersville, NC. 

The speakers pointed out that North Carolina wildlife, from fresh water fish like trout to 

migratory birds to coastal animals like sea turtles are all under threat from climate change. One 

biologist commented, "Wildlife in North Carolina and across the country are suffering from heat 
waves, drought and flooding brought on by heavy rainfall," and "These weather events threaten 

wildlife and wildlife habitat, as well as our sportsmen's heritage." NWF has produced a series of 

booklets on the current and future impact of global warming on North American birds, fish and 

big game animals. They are available at nwf.org . 

Much of the focus of the meeting, however, was on steps being taken to help wildlife 

survive and adapt to increasing temperatures. Erin McCombs, Natural Resources Scientist and 

Associate Director of Southeast Conservation for American Rivers stated, "North Carolina's 

rivers and the aquatic species that live in them are already suffering the impacts of climate 

change. That is why the state of North Carolina and American Rivers are working together to 

remove dams where appropriate to improve resilience to climate change in species like trout and 

species like otter." She indicated that removing dams gives aquatic fish and mammal species 

more flexibility in their ability to move to colder waters when temperatures rise. 

Ann Berry Somers, Senior Lecturer, noted author and herpetologist at UNC — Greensboro 

and Member of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Non-game Wildlife 

Advisory Committee said, "The new State Wildlife Action Plan is a key step towards protecting 

our state's wildlife from climate change. The new Plan covers actions on climate adaptation such 

as wildlife corridors and coastal ecosystem restoration, which the state and conservation groups 

can use as a roadmap to protect our wildlife from climate change." The NC Wildlife Action Plan 

is available at ncwildlife.org/plan.aspx. 

The fact that these professional wildlife biologists are seeing detriments to the very 

existence of wildlife and wildlife habitats is compelling. These projects are expensive and stop 

gap efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change. They point to the fact that we need to 
will lead to the destabilization of already weak governments, increasing refugee populations and 

spreading armed conflict. 

Moreover, severe weather events have left these populations vulnerable to recruitment by 

extremist organizations that are poised to take advantage of the resulting economic and societal 

chaos. Nature abhors a vacuurn, and where civil society breaks down as a result of unrest caused 

by increased poverty and scarcity, fundamentaiism and authoritarianism that poses a clear threat 

to our national security will assume control. 

Recent and ongoing crises in places like Syria, Nigeria, and Pakistan illustrate how a confluence 

of factors, exacerbated by climate impacts, has been a catalyst for conflict. If we as a nation have 

learned anything over the last decade, surely it is that events in far-flung places have a direct 

impact on our security at home. 

Therefore, climate change isn't just a risk abroad; it poses a direct threat to our national security 

here at home. 

The impacts of climate change are also expanding areas of responsibility for our military. 

Recently, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel stated that the melting of polar ice caps, a result of 

global climate change, is enhancing "dangerous potential for conflict in the Arctic." In an era of 

significant fiscal constraint, our military will be required to respond to these global challenges by 

spending precious resources and placing our men and women in harm's way. 

At a speech to the graduating cadets at West Point, President Obama called climate change "a 

creeping national security crisis that will help shape your time in uniform, as we're called on to 

respond to refugee flows, natural disasters, and conflicts over water and food." 

Climate change is not only increasing the risk of conflict, but also the frequency of climaterelated disasters that will require hurnanitarian assistance from the U.S. Whenever natural 

disasters occur around the world, nations look to the United States to react. In 2013, after 

Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines, the U.S. Navy deployed marines and soldiers to 

conduct rescue missions and offer assistant within the first 36 hours. 

These humanitarian ventures are important because they uphold America's image around the 

world, but they undeniably detract from primary missions. Climate change means more of these 

natural disasters, but as Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus noted, our military already receives a 

request for aid or disaster relief every two weeks. This burden will only increase if clirnate 

change continues unchecked. 

And the impacts aren't just felt abroad, but also right here at home. Rising sea levels and extreme 

weather events threaten critical infrastructure and reduce the operational capability of our 

military's installations. Rising numbeFSof weather alerts are reducing training days and impacting 

mission readiness. The National Guard is preparing for additional responsibilities responding to 

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increasing frequency of natural disasters. During Hurricane Sandy, nearly 14,000 military 

personnel were mobilized to provide assistance to impacted areas. 

The science is settled, and the resulting impacts of instability will not happen at some far-flung 

time in the future but rather are happening now. As a result, our military will be increasingly 

stretched to respond to the ever more difficult challenges of protecting America's interests 

abroad. While I am confident that we can meet these challenges, this will not come without a 

cost. 

As Americans, we owe it to our troops to do everything we can to keep them out of harm's way. 

By cornbatting the threat of clirnate change, we can prevent future conflicts and ultimately send 

fewer of our brave men and women in uniform into dangerous situations. 

This is why the EPA's proposed rule to regulate carbon emissions is so important. By lowering 

the carbon intensity of our electricity sector, we are able to mitigate these risks. In the process, 

we are unlocking enormous opportunity for economic growth developing a robust clean, 

renewable energy economy. 

While admittedly, the standard is not the full-throated response we typically see from the United 

States when confronted with a global threat of this magnitude, it is a significant first step in 

showcasing America's leadership to address this critical issue. 

Building, strengthening, and leading the international comrnunity to respond in the face of great 

challenges has been the bedrock of American grand strategy since 1945. This is an issue that 

cannot be solved within our borders; although there is little doubt that America currently has – or 

ever had – the capacity to act alone, there is no other nation prepared or positioned to assume the 

responsibility of being a catalyst for global action. 

Our greatest generation defended Europe from horrific tyranny during World War II. And in the 

wake of the destruction, when other nations were ravaged and struggling to recover, America's 

leadership rebuilt a world that upheld democracy and freedom—all while staring down the 

Communist threat. 

With an understanding that America's strength and security is inextricably intertwined with the 

fate of free nations, the men and women of that generation were actively exporting the ideals that 

make this country great. They sacrificed so much because they believed that the opportunities 

and liberties we experience should be available everywhere. 

The impacts of climate change would undermine every effort to build lasting, democratic 

institutions and create economic opportunity for all individuals. It is inherently un-American to 

turn our back and commit the world to that fate. 

We are at a critical inflection point in our history where we have so mueh to lose by inaction and 

so much to gain through action. We cannot presume that the world will act without leadership 

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from the United States, and we cannot expect other nations to act if we do not take the lead here 

at home. 

The United States must show the nations of the world that we take climate change seriously, and 

we rnust set the example by which others can follow. Without taking serious, concrete steps at 

home, we cannot be a leader abroad. By setting an example, the United States will have the 

leverage it needs to influence our friends and allies to take such measured steps of their own. 

The world is watching, and they are waiting to see if this is just a blip or if the American people 

are truly committed to taking this issue seriously. As a veteran, I take this issue very seriously, 

and I hope that the American people and government leadership are ready to act. 

The time is now for the United States to Iead by taking definitive and real steps to curb the 

effects of global climate change. 

I thank you for your time and your consideration. 

m