Voces in Action
Strong Support from Hispanics on First-Ever Limits on Carbon Pollution
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Strong Support from Hispanics on First-Ever Limits on Carbon Pollution

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

August 3, 2015 

 

Contact: Analisa Freitas: 202-289-6868; Afreitas@nrdc.org

 

Strong Support from Hispanics on First-Ever Limits on Carbon Pollution 

Clean Power Plan Protects Health of our Communities and is a Critical Step
Towards Fighting Climate Change 

Washington, DC (August 3, 2015) — Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took a critical step towards protecting our children and future generations from the dangers of climate change. Numerous Hispanic groups including, Voces Verdes, the National Hispanic Medical Association, GreenLatinos, their allies and members applaud this announcement and look forward to working with states on plans that protect communities and prioritize energy efficiency and renewable energy. 

“I, along with the National Hispanic Medical Association’s 50,000 member doctors and allied health professionals, strongly support the EPA’s final rule limiting carbon pollution from existing power plants. Pollution from these power plants—both carbon pollution and other toxic power-plant emissions—sickens people raising the risk of illnesses like asthma, allergies, lung cancer and heart disease,” said Dr. Elena Rios, President & CEO of NHMA (www.nhmamd.org). “Half of all the Latinos in the U.S. live in areas where the air quality doesn’t meet EPA standards for clean air. These new rules will help clean up our air and prevent up to 6,600 premature deaths and 2,800 hospital admissions, all while fighting the pollution that causes climate change. They will protect our health, save families money; create better opportunities for every American.”

“The Latino community has been nearly unanimous in its desire for government to take strong action to fight climate change and today we celebrate President Obama's announcement of the final Clean Power Plan which represents the largest investment in fighting climate change ever made by any President of the United States,” said Mark D. Magaña, President & CEO of GreenLatinos. “The long-awaited required reduction in carbon pollution from power plants will also reduce dangerous air pollutants that cause serious lung and heart illnesses that disproportionately affect the Latino community, while reducing our electricity bills and increasing good jobs through investment in renewable clean energy and efficiency. GreenLatinos celebrates this historic rule and significant step in protecting our environment, health, economy, and security in the 21st Century and beyond.”

 

The groups say they believe EPA is doing its job under the Clean Air Act to hold power plants accountable for the amount of pollution they spew into the air. They see it as their duty as Latino leaders and organizations to make sure our community is aware of and advocating against the harmful effects of carbon pollution. 

 

“This action is long overdue and very welcome. As Latinos we believe in our country’s potential to allow us all to live a better life, and this plan inspires confidence that indeed we can achieve that,” said Adrianna Quintero, Director of Voces Verdes (www.vocesverdes.org). “The Clean Power Plan is a critical step towards fighting climate change and the threat it poses for our lives and the lives of our children. I look at my two children and I know that I owe it to them and to their children to force polluters to clean up their act and stop dumping carbon and toxic pollution into our air and transition to a clean energy economy so that they may inherit the future we dream of for them.” 

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