By: Emily Pickett, Florida State Coordinator, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: May 10, 2023
About: Environmental Protection Agency Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2022-0829
To: Environmental Protection Agency
My name is Emily Pickett, and I am the Florida state coordinator for Moms Clean Air Force in Tampa, Florida. As a lifelong Floridian, I have seen the adverse effects of extreme weather events like hurricanes firsthand. Unfortunately, these storms will become more destructive as the climate warms, which is why I am speaking today in support of the strongest clean cars standards and urging the EPA to finalize these important protections this year.
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, making up 27% of all emissions. Within the transportation sector, passenger cars and trucks are the largest contributors, at 58% of all transportation sources and 17% of total US greenhouse gas emissions.
These facts demonstrate the huge role cars play in climate change. In Florida, sea level rise threatens our coastlines, extreme heat affects vulnerable populations, including our state’s large Latino community, and severe weather events like hurricanes cause deadly devastation and chaos.
For example, last September, Hurricane Ian was projected to make a direct hit on Tampa Bay. As with any incoming hurricane, the days leading up to the storm’s arrival were chaotic. People scrounged for wood to board their windows so projectiles wouldn’t fly through, traveled across counties for sand to make sandbags to keep floodwater from entering homes and waited for hours in gas pump lines to fill up their tanks in case they needed to evacuate at the last minute. Grocery store shelves were wiped out, with essentials like water, batteries, and flashlights nowhere to be found. Those in evacuation zones were forced to pack up their cars with their most prized possessions and leave their homes, hoping they’d have a home to return to after the storm passed. Schools closed for a week as they were prepared to be used as shelters.
But then, the storm took a turn and slammed into Southwest Florida. The devastation taking place just 100 miles south of me was heartbreaking to watch, as people’s lives were torn apart from the historic wind and flooding. Hurricane Ian’s destruction caused 149 casualties in Florida and cost roughly $133 billion in damage in all. I felt guilty about the relief I felt knowing my city was spared at the expense of someone else’s.
But as storms like Ian increase in frequency, the likelihood of a catastrophic storm hitting Tampa Bay is ever present. In fact, today’s children will live through at least 3 times as many climate disasters as their grandparents.
Therefore, to protect the health and safety of future generations, it is critical to reduce the greenhouse gas pollution causing dangerous and costly climate change. I urge you to ensure that car pollution standards are as strong as possible to speed up the transition to zero-emission vehicles and to take action this year. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today.