My name is Jackie Weidman and I will be testifying on behalf ofNicole Hernandez Hammer, 

who unfortunately couldn't be here today. I'd like to request that the following comments be 

submitted for the official record: 

Thank you for the opportunity to submit these comments. My name is Nicole Hernandez 

Hammer. I am the Assistant Director of climate change research for the Florida Center for 

Environmental Studies and a Latino outreach consultant for the Union of Concerned Scientists. 

As a sea level rise researcher, I work to better understand the causes and impacts of sea level rise 

on coastal regions of the United States. As a Latina, I'm particularly interested in what the sea 

level rise implications are for U.S. Hispanic communities. 

We know that most of the amount of sea level rise we have seen over the last 100 years is a 

direct cause of human induced climate change. And we know that the primary cause of climate 

change is carbon pollution, and the primary source of carbon pollution is fossil-fuel fired power 

plants. That's why the proposed standards we are discussing today are so important. When they 

are finalized, they will put the first-ever national limits on the amount of carbon pollution that 

power plants can emit, and that will be a big step toward protecting our communities from the 

damage caused by climate change — including sea level rise. 

Sea level rise is one of the many impacts of climate change and it poses severe consequences for 

many communities across the country. Sea level rise is linked to polluted water, loss of land and 
fiercer storms. There is a lot of information on which places will be underwater in the next 20, 40 

and 80+ years, and the projections are grim. 

Nationally, there are efforts underway to figure out what kind of people are most at risk to sea 

level rise: are they rich or poor? young or old? 

So far, though, there is little information on what sea level rise means for Latinos. But I have 

compared Climate Central's list of the most vulnerable U.S. Iocations to sea level rise and 

noticed they all had something in common — I have family in these places: New York, 

California, North Carolina, Florida, and Texas. Comparing the Climate Central list to the 2010 

census report, I discovered that these are the same places that have the largest and/or fastest 

growing Hispanic communities in the country. 

For example, according to a 2008 report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and 

Development, Miami is the number one most economically vulnerable place to sea level rise in 

the world. Its population also happens to be close to 70% Hispanic. 

I grew up in Southeast Florida. It is where I've chosen to work and raise my family. It's a 

wonderful place that I am lucky to call home. For us, sea level rise is not just a future threat. We 

are already seeing impacts now. Cities in our region have lost drinking water wells to saltwater 

contamination and as a result are drilling new wells inland; there are hundreds of millions of 

dollars being spent on projects to manage the ever growing frequency of urban flooding during 

seasonal high tides and projected billions to be spent in the next 20 years; mayors and city 

officials are meeting to learn more about the issue and to gather resources and tools to adapt to 

these problems. And at times, there has even been discussion on how to manage retreat from 
urban areas that, in the next 30 - 50 years, may be unsalvageable from permanent inundation. 

My colleagues in other coastal states have similar stories of urgent adaption needs. We are 

dealing with the impacts of what ultimately amounts to bad choices, weak policies and soft 

regulations, that have exacerbated the problem of climate change and now the consequences are 

at our front door. But there is still a narrow window of time for us to make the right choices, take 

responsibility and act to mitigate carbon emissions. The best way to do that is to finalize the 

proposed standards for power plants that we're discussing today, and place the first-ever national 

limits on pollution that power plants can emit. 

As Hispanics, we are paying close attention to this issue because we know that our communities 

will suffer disproportionally. Because of the rate of sea level rise and the severity of its 

consequences the immediate future of our local economies, public health and natural resources 

all hang in the balance. 

Many Hispanics, like me, are first-generation immigrants and understand the sacrifices that are 

required when starting a new life in a new country. These are sacrifices that we gladly make to 

provide a better life for ourselves and our families. But while we work to build a future, the 

looming threat of sea level rise is endangering what we are working so hard for. As our leaders, 

we rely on you to take all possible steps to mitigate this threat. We know that these hard choices 

can't be put off any longer and that what that these choices will determine what kind of future we 

leave for the next generation. 
As a 1-iispanic American who cares about clean air, public health, and climate change, I urge you 

to finalize strong carbon standards that reduce carbon pollution from power plants. Thank you 

for taking this significant next step to tackle climate change and protect our air, health, and 

economy.