Nicole Broder 

Nbroder23@gmail.com 

703-798-8497 

July 30, 2014 

Hi, my name is Nicole Broder. I am here today as a student from the College of William 

and Mary and I wanted to share with you why I am concerned about climate change and why I 

support the Clean Power Plan. 

I' ll be a senior at the College this year and, for those of you who aren't familiar with my 

school, William and Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, right in the heart of the 

Tidewater region. Living in this delicate coastal climate, I've already experienced first hand the 

effects of climate change. 

My freshman year, on the second day of classes, Hurricane Irene came barrel'zng up the 

East Coast, causing the College to evacuate. After only the briefest taste of college life, I was 

back at home for five days while the storm raged outside. When I returned I was greeted not with 

the sight of my beautiful, historic school, but instead with fallen trees, washed out paths, and 

standing water at every turn. 

My sophomore year, Hurricane Sandy hit the east coast. While Williamsburg was lucky 

compared to those located farther north, the College still shut down for two days and suffered the 

effects of torrential rain and flooding. That same year, the Great Dismal Swamp, located just 

miles from campus, was on fire as a result of lightening striking unusually dry parts of the 

environment. Over 6,500 acres of precious swamplands were destroyed. 

Last year, as a junior, Williamsburg experienced an unheard of amount of snowfall. We 

had school canceled on three separate occasions and saw a total of 8 inches accumulate. Just for 

some perspective: the average snowfall annually for Williamsburg is zero inches. 

And these are only the effects we are already feeling today. Virginia is experiencing the 

fastest rate of sea level rise on the East Coast and Williamsburg sits only 82 feet above sea level; 

bordered by the James River to the south and the York River on the north. I can be sure that in 

the coming years, my home will be threatened by rising sea levels. 

The College of William and Mary is 321 years old. As a student of the second-oldest 

college in the country, I am struck everyday by the juxtaposition of the very foundations of this 

country with the education of its future. As the youth of this country prepare themselves to be the 

leaders of tomorrow everyday on campus, I can't help but think that our founding fathers would 

be appalled to see this country damaged beyond repair by climate change. 

The College is famous for its firsts: the first U.S. institution with a Royal Charter, the 

first Greek-letter society, the first student honor code, the first college to become a university, 
Nicole Broder 

N brcx(cr23 (cr),gazia i l.cgtn 

703-798-8497 

July 30, 2014 

and the first law school in America. It would be a tragedy to see this historic institution become 

one of the tirst to be destroyed by the effects of climate change. 

Power plants are the largest single source of carbon pollution fueling climate change. In 

Virginia, they are responsible for 31% of our carbon pollution, and 40% nationally. It is 

undeniable that climate change is fueling extreme weather events like the ones I have 

experienced, as well as causing rising sea levels. Addressing climate change is not only our 

obligation to the youth of this country, but also our obligation to the history and founders of this 

great nation. 

The EPA must finalize its proposed Clean Power Plan. We can't sit by an allow power 

plants to dump unlimited amounts of dangerous carbon pollution into the air. Thank you.