### The Evangelical Environmental Network 24 East Franklin Street New Freedom, PA 17349 202-903-0209 support@creationcare.org

EVANGELICAL August 1, 2014 ENVIRONMENTAL 

### N ETWORK Testimony of The Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox Clean Power Plan Public Hearing

"See!" he said to all the people. "This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the Lord has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God." Joshua 24:17

Good Morning,

I am the Rev. Mitchell Hescox, President/C.E.O. of the Evangelical Environmental Network, a native and resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, an evangelical pro-life Christian, and life-long registered Republican. I am here in support of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) purposed Clean Power Plan and to offer my unique perspective not only as an evangelical Christian but as someone who spent eighteen (18) years as a local church pastor, fourteen years as a professional in the coal and power industries, and who is also a father and grandfather.

Today marks the opportunity for a new day. We have a choice to make: will we as citizens of the United States of America defend the lives and health of our children and provide them the opportunity for new clean energy economy, or we will burden them not only with a national monetary debt but the even more harmful burden of an increasing climate changed world? Will we stop the special favors that the coal industry has enjoyed and allow the real cost of coal to affect our energy decisions?

With four (4) children and five (5) grandchildren, I have a considerable interest in their future and the future for all God's children. My kids have never experienced a June below the 20t h century average June temperature, and with June 2014 as the hottest June in history and marking the 352nd month above the 20t h century average, my grandchildren already live in a changed world. The future is upon us, and the question remains, will we cling to a threatening past or stretch for a new future?

There are many good people testifying today that also are concerned for their children. They fear the loss of jobs and a way of life. At the same time, we must be concerned for coal miners and power plant workers and find ways to address their fears. Circa 1900 there were similarHescox, Clean Power Plan Testimony: August 1, 2014

fears as the third largest industry in terms of workers and dollars, the horse industry, faced a similar situation from the quickly developing automobile industry. But living in a country whose economy is market based means we must allow the markets to work to create new opportunities and brighter futures, and not be hindered by political roadblocks from special
interests.

For years, we have subsidized the cost of coal generated electricity in the brains, lungs, and bodies of our children and privatized the profits. Asthma, cancers, autism, birth defects, and brain damage have a direct link to the use of fossil fuels and petrochemicals. Even today, according to the American Lung Association 2014 State of the Air Report, Pittsburgh's air still flunks, and over 26,000 children live asthma-impeded lives — with climate change making smog worse. These threats to our children make caring for God's creation a matter of life and Christian discipleship.

The proposed Clean Power Plan begins a market correction that is long overdue. Some wish us to believe that coal provides cheap electricity. But according to several studies, when you add in the cost to our health in medical bills, lost lives, property damage and the like, coal electricity is at least triple what you pay at the meter. Coals appears cheap, but each of us pays the price in our children's health, insurance premiums, fouled air, and polluted water.

Providing pure water and clean air shouldn't be a hindrance to our economy, jobs, and future. In fact, having a fruitful creation enhances existing industries, new industries, the attractiveness of communities, and satisfied employees. If Pennsylvania, for example, takes advantage of the standard's flexibility, there will be an equal amount of employment created in the natural gas industry as lost from fuel switching.' More importantly, 13,000 new jobs will be created by 2020 based on Pennsylvania's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS) Act of 2004. And if Pennsylvania's implementation plan for the Clean Power Plan returns the Commonwealth to its former leadership position, renewable energy jobs in solar and wind will increase significantly."
Job creation is vital, but defending life remains paramount, and the proposed Clean Power Plan accomplishes significant pollution reduction in both carbon and additional co-pollutants, including particulates, SO2, and NO x . According to a recent Syracuse University and Harvard medical study, Pittsburgh and the entire Ohio River Valley will benefit with the greatest improvements in air quality from EPA's Clean Power Plan." This is something to celebrate; and with cleaner air, our out of pockets expenses will decline and so will our electric bill. The Analysis Group's recent report on EPA's new standard supports EPA own analysis that electric rates might increase slightly in the short term but will decline overall."

The Clean Power Plan is a key aspect of a needed comprehensive national effort to mitigate and prepare for climate change's threats to the United States. The Clean Power Plan makes economic sense as well. Harvard's Robert Stavins wrote recently:Hescox, Clean Power Plan Testimony: August 1, 2014

The combined U.S.-only estimates of annual climate impacts of CO2 ($3 billion) and health impacts of correlated pollutants ($45 billion) greatly exceed the estimated regulatory compliance costs of $9 billion/year, for positive net benefits amounting to $39 billion/year in 2030.v

His analysis focusing on U.S. benefits states what is obvious to many of our nation's businesses. Act now before it's too late and the costs skyrocket."' Delaying action simply costs more, but procrastinating also removes the great opportunity in creating a new clean energy economy. Businesses like Caterpillar, Dow Chemical, General Electric, General Motors, Procter & Gamble, Sprint, and Walmart all have climate action plans. They have a clear vision of both the costs of climate change and the vision for the future."

All God's children deserve a future where they can breathe freely, think clearly, and pursue their dreams for a brighter America and an entire world not threatened from the food insecurity, water scarcity, foul air, extreme weather, forced migration, and sea-level rise. We can do nothing less as a nation.
Addressing carbon pollution from the largest single polluter, the power industry, is an essential step in facing climate change's threat and embracing the opportunity of a new future. But it is one of many steps. We need a comprehensive plan to:

• Police methane leaks from production, distribution, and transportation of natural gas;

• Provide coordination in preparing for the climate impacts already upon us;

• Unify research efforts to set our American creativity and ingenuity free to be the world leader in clean energy design and manufacturing;

• Set reasonable standards and accountability for coastal development;

• Protect American workers from those nations who fail to establish their own climate plans.

• Focus our assistance to the majority world in terms of renewable, locally operated electricity.

The Clean Power Plan, once promulgated, will be the most important action to date in overcoming climate change. It shows our nation's resolve in doing the right thing, the moral action. It returns The United States to the leadership position and sets the standard for a worldwide clean energy economy. This provides the signal the market needs to spur development and action. It removes the burden of cost from our children's health and begins to establish true costs for electric generation.
The simplest and most enforceable action to reduce carbon pollution would include a carbon pollution fee. This would simplify state implementation and be the most accountable direct market mechanism to price carbon. As such, we ask the EPA to include explicit language in the final standard assuring states the option for a carbon tax/pollution fee.Hescox, Clean Power Plan Testimony: August 1, 2014

Now is the time to act. We are quickly approaching the deadline to keep God's marvelous creation below the two (2) degree Celsius maximum urged by experts and agreed to by the United States in the international climate negotiations. While some understand climate action as political, from my evangelical Christian faith it's a scriptural and moral imperative. In the opening of this testimony, I quoted a portion of a longer biblical passage. The patriarch Joshua calls the nation together and commits to a plan to follow God and work together for the betterment of all. He even states the rocks will act as witness. Creation already witnesses our changed and changing climate. Looking out your kitchen window and going for a walk it is easy to see the changes.

Let's join together as Christians, as people of all faiths, as Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, and become Americans, Americans working together to solve the great moral challenge of our time and to begin the greatest energy and economic revolution. Then maybe our kids and grandkids will commend us for helping them reach their American Dream, instead of a nightmare.

http://csis.org/event/remaking-american-power " http://cleanenergywins.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/CleanEnergyWins_PolicyRoadmap.pdf Driscoll, C.T, Buonocore, J., Reid, S., Fakhraei, H, and Lambert, K.F. 2014. Co-benefits of Carbon Standards Part 1: Air Pollution Changes under Different 111d Options for Existing Power Plants. Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. A report of the Science Policy Exchange. 34 pp. EPA's Clean Power Plan: States' Tools for Reducing Costs and Increasing Benefits to Consumers Analysis Group -Paul Hibbard, Andrea Okie, Susan Tierney, July 2014 http://www.analysisgroup.com/uploadedFiles/Publishing/Articles/Analysis_Group_EPA_Clean_Power_Plan_Repor t.pdf http://www.robertstavinsblog.org/2014/06/19/what-are-the-benefits-and-costs-of-epas-proposed-co2- regulation/ v'http://riskybusiness.org/uploads/files/RiskyBusiness_Report_WEB_7_22_14.pdfhttp://www.ceres.org/resources/reports/power-forward-2.0-how-american-companies-are-setting-cleanenergy-targets-and-capturing-greater-business-value