EPA Listening Session 

July 30, 2014 

Natalie Pien,natcpienverizon.net 

703 777 1772 

Hello. My name is Natalie Pien and I am from nearby Leesburg, 

VA. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today. I am 

here to support strong regulations for carbon dioxide 

emissions from existing electric power plants. I will speak: 

first as a mother; then, as a teacher; a church green team coleader; an environmental activist; and, finally, as a responsible 

human being. 

I am blessed two beautiful daughters who are pursuing their 

life's passion. My older daughter, Renee, is living in Montreal, 

Canada studying set and costume design at the National 

Theatre School of Canada. My younger daughter, Elise, is 

studying Physical Therapy at Old Dominion University in 

Norfolk, VA. Elise is the one I am concerned about. Norfolk is 

the 2nd most vulnerable area in terms of sea level rise and it is 

already subject to "recurrent flooding". Norfolk will become 

the next New Orleans when it sustains the impact of a 

hurricane. Luckily, super-storm Sandy did not strike Norfolk, 

but luck cannot be depended upon. Elise, through no fault of 

her own, is living in harm's way. Mothers worry about a lot of 

things. The impact of Climate Change should not be one of 

them. 

I have had two wonderful careers: first, as an environmental 

scientist working in the public sector; then, as a science teacher 

in Loudoun County Public Schools. For the past 15 years, I 

have co-sponsored an Ecology Club and helped our school be 

recognized as a Virginia Naturally school. Regrettably, the 

environmental stewardship my students have developed is not 

recognized by today's adults who are in power. Instead of 

stewardship, the earth is exploited for its natural resources. 
These people place short-term profits over than long-term 

sustainability, public health, and safety. 

I also work with adults. I am the Green Team co-chair at my 

church, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun. I joined 

the Unitarian faith for many reasons, chief of which is it's 7th 

Principle: "Respect for the interdependent web of all existence 

of which we are a part." This guiding principle recognizes the 

truths that we depend on Nature and that our behavior affects 

Nature. At church, the Green Team has initiated 

environmentally friendly practices, organized green sermons, 

hosted the first annual Loudoun Interfaith Bridges meeting 

focused on Climate Change, promoted several Climate Change 

petitions, including one that led to the recent national 

Unitarian Universalist Association divestment from the fossil 

fuel industry. 

As current chair of 350 Loudoun, a local chapter of Bill 

McKibben's international 350.org non-profit, I am privileged to 

work with other activists who are passionate about raising 

awareness of Climate Change in conservative Loudoun County. 

We have spoken publically on issues that exacerbate Climate 

Change to many regulatory bodies including: our county board 

of supervisors; our representatives to the VA Assembly; the VA 

State Corporation Commissio.n; and, of course, to you. We host 

local Climate Change rallies as well as participate in regional 

and national rallies. We reach out to the community in many 

ways, such as monthly films, exhibiting at community festivals, 

marching in local parades, and writing letters to the editor. 

As a responsible human aware of Climate Change, I strive to 

live a sustainable life style. My husband and I designed and 

built a passive solar home. A few years ago, we added solar 

photo-voltaic panels that provide 100% of our electrical 

energy needs from May until October. The last car we 

purchased was the Honda Insight Hybrid and our next car will 

be a plug-in electric hybrid with a range to meet our daily 
commuting needs. We have a vegetable garden and freeze 

vegetables for the winter. We shop at our local farmer's 

market, supporting the local economy while reducing green 

house gas emissions due to transportation of our food. We also 

adopted a more environmentally friendly diet by becoming 

vegetarian. Some experts estimate that vegetarians reduce 

their carbon footprint by as much as 50%! As you can see, my 

husband and I have taken many steps towards reducing our 

carbon footprint and living in an environmentally friendly way. 

I have done my best to be a champion for the environment and 

to fight Climate Change. Today, I am asking you to do your best 

to stop electric power plants from freely polluting our vital air 

resource. The price of carbon pollution must be paid by the 

polluter, not the people through increased health care costs, 

infrastructure costs, or insurance rate costs. Your regulations 

will be an essential step towards reducing our nation's green 

house gas emissions and transitioning from a fossil fuel energy 

based economy to a clean, renewable energy based economy. 

The air we breathe is an essential common resource for 

everyone and it must be protected. We owe it to our children 

and future generations. 

Thank you, 

Natalie Pien 

20644 Gleedsville Rd. 

Leesburg, VA 20175 

703 777 1772 

natcpien@verizon.net