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## TheUnited StatesEnvironmental ProtectionAgency New Source Pollution Standardsfor Carbon Pollution EPA-HQ-OAR-2011-0660 May 24, 2012,Washington, DC 

## TheTestimony of The Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox, President/C.E.O. The Evangelical Environmental Network 24 EastFranklin Street NewFreedom, PA 17349 mitcb@rreatjoncare.org 

## 717-578-2063

This is an historic step in the right direction to overcome global 

### warming and protecting public health. "The simplefact is that if man [sic! is not able to solve his ecological problems, then man's resources are goingto die." 1 

### Noted evangelical, Francis Schaeffer correctly stated those words in 1970 and they remain true today. The earth has a fever, 2 and the fever's impacts have reached epidemic proportions, 

### threatening all ofus. Simply put climate change is the greatest moral challenge ofourtime.

r] 

### Climate Change resultingfrom carbon pollution makes bad things worse. It intensifies natural processes, making natural events unnatural or extreme, 

### and hits the mostvulnerablethe hardest.

1 Francis A, Schaeffer, 

### Pollution ondtheDeath ofMan, Tyndale House, Wheaton, IL, 1970, reprinted 2011, pg. 9. 2 Jim Ball, 

### Global WarmingandtheRisen Lord, The Evangelical Environmental Network, Washington, DC, 2010, pg. 39. 3 http:/(maplecroft.com/about/news/ccvi 2012.html

# TestimonyofThe Rev. Mitchell 

# C. Hescox, May 24, 2012

These threats are not somefuture event. They are happening now, and God's children across this planet cry for our help. The Cape Town Commitment' issued by the Lausanne Movement (founded by Billy Graham and John Stott, both internationally respected evangelical leaders) recognizes the need for climate change action, as does as does the global evangelical network Micah Challenge 5



### observed these**physk~d** 

### ch'*'"'''''· tempcr:rturr:: kngthc.q;ing icr>frPc seasons



### Victor Mughogho, the Executive Director of Eagles Relief and Development -Malawi, recently visited the United States for my organization's 

### GlobalDayofPrayerFor Creation Core and the Poor. 

### During his presentation, Victor shared exactly what climate scientists' have predicted for years. 

### Victor told us howfortheir parentsthe rainy season was so predictablethey knew to plant on October 15 every year. They planted and the rains fell- predictable -stable -reliable. They grew so much food they had an overabundance. In their parents' lives, they experienced one major drought.

4 http://www.lausanne.org/en/documents/ctcommitment.html 5 http

### :1/www.miGlhnetwork.org/sites/default/fl!es/doc/1 ibrary/micahnetwork statementtoworidIeaders.pdf 5 Warming increases the risk of civil war in Africa (October 2009); Proceedings ofthe National Academy of Sciences. 7 United States Department of Defense Quadrennial Defense Review Report (February 2010). 

### 2 

## I

# TestimonyofThe Rev. Mitchell C. 

# Hescox, May 24, 2012

Since 1970, droughts, floods, and unpredictable rains have become the new normal, exactly what the scientists said climate change would do, 8 

### wreaking havoc for poorfarmers. 2011 was the fourth consecutive year drought has plagued Malawi. Moreover, when the rains come they are unpredictable. Victor told us that last yearthe farmers planted and the crops failed; planted again, failed again; planted athird time and they failed athird time. Hunger, malnutrition, the stunting of children are the results. Victor reminded us that such stunting harms a person's brain development, furtherjeopardizing their future and that of Malawi. Further, women who were stunted as children are at greater risk of having complications giving birth, delivering lower birth weight infants, and higher birth moralityfor both mother and child.

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### The United States does not escape either. 2011 was the wildest year on record for extreme weather in the US with 99 major events. Insurance losses in 2011 were the second costliest on record, only 2005 with hurricane Katrina were higher. The trend continues in 2012 being the year without winter, extreme weather appears to be drawing attention to a changing climate. Science now affirms that North America's summer heat waves and changing precipitation are very likely resulting from anthropogenic 

### climate change. 9 

### In otherwords, the extreme weather events ofthe past several years are typical of

8 http://www.actionaid.org.uk/doc_lib/malawi_climate_change_report.pdf "Claudia Tebaldi & Katharine Hayhoe,

### Detection &

### AttributionofClimate Change, April2012, awaiting publication.

# TestimonyofThe Rev. Mitchell C. 

# Hescox, May 24, 2012

climate change and very likely will continue. Others present today will testify or have already testified to coal-produced electricity (the largest source of carbon pollution) adding 

### $0.0972-0.2689 per kWh in hidden health and other costs not currently realized by the utility 10 Others may testifytojobs created by clean energy, orthe American public's desire for dean air. All true. However, my testimony is a moral cause for the poor. Someone must 

### stand and speakfor those without a voice and those who are most impacted 

### by carbon pollution, yet the least responsible for its toxic emissions. And there are many Christians in the U.S. who are concerned about what happens to poor people in poor countries. The New Source Standard for Carbon Pollution remains afirst step, but only afirst step. We need a clean energy revolution whose rate ofchange must be incredibly fast. Agradual transition will not provide an adequate means to protect public health from the well-documented fossil fuel consequences of carbon, mercury, lead, and other heavy metals, particulate pollution. Our nation must empower asecond "Greatest Generation" who, similar to the mobilization required for overcoming fascism, provide the leadership for a clean energy revolution. Clean energy and reducing carbon pollution, according to the respected business-consulting firm McKinsey & Co., will require a 

### 10- fold increase in carbon productivity. 11 This will require a united effort of government, business, and all society working together, including comprehensive energy/climate legislation.
A national clean energy policy, including comprehensive climate change legislation that includes a price on carbon, must be a national priority. Our nation must lead in driving innovation throughout the economy, and success for market-based solutions will occur only as a carbon fuel's true cost becomes realized.
A clean energy future provides a healthy new economy for America and our success at home can then be exported to other parts ofthe world. American innovation and businesses stand to gain ifwe can come up with the next efficient clean energy production. The New Source Performance Standard for Carbon Pollution is an historicfirst step in the right direction and we strongly recommend its finalization and promulgation in its current form. However, it's only a beginning, a springboard. We urge the Administration, Congress, industry, and the American people to work toward a market based solution to reduce current carbon pollution and insure a safer and healthier world for all God's children.

10 Paul R. Epstein, et.al., Full CostAccountingFor The Life Cycle ofCoal, Annals ofthe NY Academy ofSciences, 1219, (2011), 73·98. 11 http://www.mckinsev.com/lnsights/MGI/Research/Natural Resources/The carbon productivity challenge. 

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