New Clean Air Rules Can Help Curb Extreme Weather and the Economic Harm it Does to Small Businesses
Statement by John Arensmeyer, CEO, Small Business Majority, about rules proposed today by the Environmental Protection Agency that would limit carbon emissions from power plants
**Small business owners available for comment**
Rules proposed today by the Environmental Protection Agency that would limit carbon emissions from power plants will help curb climate change and reduce the extreme weather events it causes, which hurt our economy and wreak havoc on small businesses̢??? bottom lines. What̢???s more, rules such as these are supported by small businesses̢??our primary job creators.
Small Business Majority̢???s opinion polling found the majority of small businesses support the EPA setting standards for existing power plants to curb carbon emissions. In addition, the vast majority believe investing in clean energy can stimulate the economy and create jobs now.
Small employers realize carbon pollution is linked to climate change and extreme weather. More and more, extreme weather has been hitting small employers where it hurts the most. Our polling also revealed climate change and extreme weather events are causing real financial hardships for small employers̢??so much so that the majority of entrepreneurs affected by an extreme weather event have experienced a ̢???significant̢???? financial impact to their companies and some have even had to lay off employees.
Small businesses make up the backbone of our economy. For every one large business in America, there are more than 1,400 small businesses diligently working to reenergize the economy. These entrepreneurs are doing everything they can to hire, grow and move their business forward. As part of these efforts, they want pragmatic, innovative policies that help guide them into a modern clean energy economy and that will mitigate extreme weather events brought about by climate change, which can hurt their profit margins. This includes strengthening EPA standards of carbon emissions that get into the air from power plants.
<p><strong>About Small Business Majority</strong><br />
Small Business Majority is a national small business advocacy organization, founded and run by small business owners to focus on solving the biggest problems facing America's 28 million small businesses today. Since 2005, we have actively engaged small business owners and policymakers in support of public policy solutions, and have delivered information and resources to entrepreneurs that promote small business growth and drive a strong, sustainable economy. We are a team of more than 30 working from our 11 offices in Washington, D.C. and 9 states, with a network of more than 45,000 small business owners and more than 2,000 business organizations, along with a formal strategic partnership program of more than 125 business organizations, enabling us to reach more than 500,000 entrepreneurs. Our extensive scientific polling, focus groups and economic research help us educate and inform policymakers, the media and other stakeholders about issues including taxes, healthcare, access to capital, entrepreneurship, workforce development, clean energy and immigration. Learn more about us on our website and follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/SBM_Media" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SmallBusinessMajority" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://instagram.com/smlbizmajority/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</p>