### The United 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, PresidentjC.E.O. The Evangelical Environmental Network 24 East Franklin Street New Freedom,

### P A 17349 mitch@creationcare.org 717-578-2063

On March 27, 2012, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed the first national carbon pollution standards for power plants. This is an historic step in the right direction to overcome global warming and protecting public health.
"The simple fact is that ifman [sic] is not able to solve his ecological problems, then man's resources are goingto die."' Noted evangelical, Francis Schaeffer correctly stated those words in 1970and they remain true today. The earth has a fever,' and the fever's impacts have reached epidemic proportions, threatening all of us. Simply put climate change is the greatest moral challenge ofourtime.

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# .- Climate Change resulting from carbon pollution makes bad things worse. It intensifies natural processes, making natural events unnatural orextreme, and hits the mostvulnerable the hardest.
The Climate Change Vulnerability Index201z'displayed on the left graphically indicatesthe great difficulty in scrapping out life for the world's poorest people. The darker the color on the map indicates those already impacted. The Democratic Republic ofthe Congo, Haiti, Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Bangladesh are already some ofthe most difficult places to survive in the

1 Francis A, Schaeffer, Pollution andtheDeathof Man, 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 

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# TestimonyofThe Rev. Mitchell C. 

# Hescox, May 24, 2012

world, and with climate change, they are atthe most at risk. These threats are not some future event. They are happening now, and God's children across this planet cry for our help. The Cape Town Commitment4 issued by the lausanne Movement (founded by Billy Graham and John Stott, another internationally respected evangelical leader) recognizes the need for climate change action, as does as does the global evangelical network Micah Challenge.'
The changing climate kills hundreds ofthousands ayear, multiplies diseases, and forces millionsto flee their homelands as food and watersecurity simply do not exist. Without basic needs met, conflict ensues. In October 2009, Burke et. al. published Warming Increases the RiskofCivil Warin Africa. The authors' model the impactsjust described and their influence by temperature rise. They conclude for each 1 degree Celsius warming will result in a 49% increase in African civil wars, a 54% increase in conflict, and an additional 393,000 battle deaths within the next 20 years6 They are not alone in predicting increased instability. The 2010 United States Department of Defense Quadrennial Review states:
Climate change will affect DoD in two broad ways. First, climate change will shape theoperating environment, roles, and missions thatwe undertake. The U.S. Global Change Research Program, composed of 13federal agencies, reported in 2009 that climate-related changes are already being observed in every region oftheworld, includingthe United States and its coastal waters. Among these physical changes are increases in heavy downpours, rising temperature and sea level, rapidly retreating glaciers, thawing permafrost, lengthening growing seasons, lengthening ice-free seasons in the oceans and on lakes and rivers, earlier snowmelt, and alterations in river flows. Assessments conducted bythe intelligence community indicatethat climate change could have significant geopolitical impacts around the world, contributingto poverty, environmental degradation, and thefurtherweakening offragilegovernments. Climate change will contribute tofood and waterscarcity, will increase the spread ofdisease, and mayspuror exacerbate mass migration.
While climate change alone does not cause conflict, it may act as an accelerant of instability or conflict, placing a burden to respond on civilian institutions and militaries around theworld. In addition, extremeweather events may lead to increased demandsfor defense supportto civil authorities for humanitarian assistance or disaster response both withinthe United States and overseas.7

These facts represent people. Victor Mughogho, the Executive Director of Eagles Relief and Development-Malawi, recently visited the United States for my organization's GlobalDayofPrayerFor Creation Care and the Poor. During his presentation, Victor shared exactly what climate scientists' have predicted foryears.

4 http://www.lausanne.org/en/documents/ctcommitment.html 5 http:1/www.micahnetwork.org/sites/detauIt/files/doc/library/micahnetwork statementtoworid leaders.pdf 6 Warming increases the risk ofcivil war in Africa (October 2009); Proceedings ofthe National Academy of Sciences. 7 United States Department of Defense Quadrennial Defense Review Report (February 2010). 

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# TestimonyofThe Rev. Mitchell C. 

# Hescox, May 24, 2012

Victortold us howfortheir parents the rainy season was so predictable they knew to plant on October 15 every year. They planted and the rains fell- predictable -stable -reliable. They grewso much food they had an overabundance. In their parents' lives, they experienced one majordrought.
Since 1970, droughts, floods, and unpredictable rains have become the new normal, exactly whatthe scientists said climate change would do,' wreaking havoc for poorfarmers.
2011 was the fourth consecutive year drought has plagued Malawi. Moreover, when the rains come they are unpredictable. Victortold us that last yearthe farmers planted and the crops failed; planted again, failed again; planted a third time and they failed athird time. Hunger, malnutrition, the stunting ofchildren are the results. Victor reminded us that such stunting harms a person's brain development, furtherjeopardizingtheirfuture 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 morality for both motherand child.
Another example stems from the work of Dr. Val Shean, aveterinarian and missionary in Uganda. For nearly 20 years, Val has shared Christ's love in both word and deed among the seven sub-tribes ofthe Karamojong, who live in most arid region of Uganda. During a recent visit tothe United States Dr. Shean shared the following story with us, about a baby named Muya Val who was orphaned because ofclimate change.
For the last three years Val's friend Aleachae's abilityto grow crops to help feed herfamily had been thwarted by the changing climate. For two ofthese years the rains came at the wrong time for planting and when they did come, itwas not enough to stem the drought. Then in the third year, the community experienced "a horrible flood," all the more remarkable since they have never had flooding. For three straightyears, Aleachae's family did not have enough food. Her husband became so enraged that he threw her out ofthe homefor being a bad wife and mother, as she could notgrow a garden. Ofcourse, it was not Aleachae's fault. It was because ofglobal warming. Yet she was blamed.
Once her husband threw her out, Aleachae wentto anothervillage, lived with another man, and became pregnant. Aleachae was tossed away --again, and attempted a return to her original village. However, she died after childbirth, and named herchild, Muya. Muya was then broughtto the local church, who asked Val to be herguardian, and gave Muya Val's last name because the fatherwas unknown. Unfortunately, in the years to come there will be many more climate change orphans like Muya Val. Indeed, in our lifetime billions ofthe world's poorwill be impacted by climate change resulting from carbon pollution.
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 werethe second costliest on record, only 2005 with hurricane Katrina were higher. The trend continues in 2012 being the year withoutwinter, extreme weather appears to be drawing attention to a changing climate. Science now affirmsthat North

8 http://www.actionaid.org.uk/doc lib/malawi climate change report.pdf 

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# TestimonyofThe Rev. Mitchell C. 

# Hescox, May 24, 2012

America's summer heat waves and changing precipitation are very likely resulting from anthropogenic climate change 9 In otherwords, the extreme weatherevents ofthe past several years are typical of climate change and very likely will continue.
Others present today will testifyto coal-produced electricity (the largest source ofcarbon pollution) adding 

### $0.0972-0.2689 per kWh in hidden health and othercosts not currently realized by the utility. 10 Others may testifytojobs created by clean energy, ortheAmerican public's desire for clean air. All true. However, mytestimony is a moral cause forthe poor. Someone must stand and speak forthose without avoice 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 aboutwhat happens to poor people in poor countries.
The New Source Standard for Carbon Pollution remains afirst step, butonly afirst step. We need a clean energy revolution whose rate ofchange must be incrediblyfast. A gradua Itransition will not provide an adequate means to protect public health from the well-documented fossil fuel consequences ofcarbon, mercury, lead, and other heavy metals, particulate pollution.
Our nation must empowera second "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 ofgovernment, 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 throughoutthe economy, and success for market-based solutions will occur only as acarbon fuel's true cost becomes realized.
A clean energy future provides a healthy neweconomy forAmerica and our success at home can then be exported to other parts oftheworld. 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 historic first step in the right direction and we strongly recommend its finalization and promulgation in its currentform. However, it's only a beginning, a springboard. We urge the Administration, Congress, industry, and the American people to worktoward a market based solution to reduce current carbon pollution and insure a safer and healthierworld for all God's children.

9 Claudia Tebaldi & Katharine Hayhoe, Detection & Attribution ofClimate Change, April 2012, awaiting publication. 10 Paul R. Epstein, et.al., FullCostAccounting For The Life Cycle ofCool, Annals ofthe NY Academy ofSciences, 1219, (2011), 73-98. 11 http://www.mckinsey.com/lnsights/MGI/Research/Natural Resources/The carbon productivity challenge. 

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