By: Tiziana Bottino, Virginia Supermom, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: June 2, 2021
About: Environmental Protection Agency Reconsideration of SAFE 1 Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2021-0257
To: Environmental Protection Agency
Good morning. My name is Tiziana Bottino, and I am a member of Moms Clean Air Force and the executive director of the Greater Prince William Climate Action Network. I live in Woodbridge, Virginia. I want to speak in support of this administration’s proposal to reinstate state authority to set stronger clean car standards. I urge this administration to move forward on setting ambitious federal clean car standards as well.
I am a mom of two young children: a loving, funny three-year-old son who insists he's four already and a very intelligent, goofy, kind six-year-old daughter. They are my world and the reason I fight for a better world every day, and that is why I am speaking today.
Days ago, I read reports of climate experts warning us that there is now about a 40% chance that the annual average global temperature will temporarily reach 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels in at least one of the next five years. This seemingly innocent number is really the key tipping point beyond which the risk of extreme drought, wildfires, floods, and food shortages will increase dramatically.
What this means to me personally is that the future of my children, my family, and your children, your families' future is in danger, and we must act now!
You are all well aware that transportation is the greatest source of GHG emissions in the country and also in my state of Virginia, so this decision holds a huge amount of responsibility on how this country will respond to the existing climate crisis.
This is not to mention the impact on the economy. I drive a plug-in hybrid SUV, and to get the model I needed, I was forced to go to Maryland to purchase it since Maryland already had a clean cars standard in place and therefore many more EVs and plug-in hybrid models are available there than in my state. But that also means that my money and taxes are driven away from my state.
Automakers must hear it loud and clear that EVs are the only way forward, and reinstating state authority to set strong standards is exactly what they need to hear.
Finally, I'd like to point out that low-wealth and POC experience disproportionate harm from dirty vehicle pollution, leading to racial disparities in rates of asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.