On June 2, 2014, the EPA announced carbon pollution standards for existing power plants.  There have never been limits on how much carbon power plants can emit.  None at all. And carbon from American coal-fired plants alone exceeds all carbon emissions from Central and South America combined.  Power plants produce 40% of the carbon pollution in the U.S.

For these historic standards to survive the onslaught of legal and legislative challenges, the EPA needs “public comments” in support, e.g., petition signatures.

If you can, please follow the Tips For Submitting Effective Comments at regulations.gov, and send an original comment directly to the Environmental Protection Agency.  The main tip is, “Many in the public mistakenly believe that their submitted form letter constitutes a ‘vote’ regarding the issues concerning them. Although public support or opposition may help guide important public policies, agencies make determinations for a proposed action based on sound reasoning and scientific evidence, not a majority of votes. A single, well-supported comment may carry more weight than a thousand form letters.”  Here is a Library of sound reasoning and scientific evidence.

If you cannot make time, at least click your favorite group below and be heard!  Many environmental groups are gathering names in support, and many have called for much higher standards.  The fossil fuel industry is of course fighting any standards at all, making dire predictions and trying to scare people.  The deadline for comments is November 30, 2014.

350.org
CREDO
Food and Water Watch
Greenpeace
MoveOn.org
Natural Resources Defense Council
Organizing for Action
Sierra Club
Union of Concerned Scientists

If you belong to Environmental Defense Fund, Friends of the Earth‎, The Nature Conservancy, SaveOurEnvironment.org, SumOfUs.org, U.S. PIRG or World Wildlife Fund, urge them to put a comment submission form or link front and center on their sites.