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Oakville teen spoke about Great Lakes in Washington by Michael Gregory Oakville Beaver Staff 11 | Thursday, August 14, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com An Oakville teenager pleaded her case for the protection of the Great Lakes at an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearing in Washington, D.C., last month. Rebecca Baptiste-Forbes, a 19-year-old freshman at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Penn., was part of a group of Environment America lobbyists who spoke at the July 29 citizen hearing. The Holy Trinity Catholic Secondary School graduate was hired as a summer intern by the advocacy organization at its head office in the United States capital. "It's been kind of surreal because I didn't realize how fast-pace Washington really was," BaptisteForbes said. "Having this opportunity really allowed me to understand what my interests are, and where I need to build on them." The EPA hearings were held to gauge the public's support for a Clean Power Plan -- a proposal to curb carbon pollution across the U.S. by creating limits for coal-burning power plants. Baptiste-Forbes attended with several other interns as well as Environment America staff and said an EPA committee member looked "shocked" when she mentioned she was a Canadian citizen. "I guess I was the first international person to step up and say something," she said. "A lot of people have been looking at this (plan) purely from an American standpoint and I really do be- A lot of people have been looking at this (plan) purely from an American standpoint and I really do believe it will affect a lot of people, depending on what decision is made. Rebecca Baptiste-Forbes lieve it will affect a lot of people depending on what decision is made." Her delegation focused on the benefits of clean energy and argued it was an obligation to manage and protect shared resources such as the Great Lakes for future generations. "A major flaw in industry as a whole is that the emissions do not stay limited to the borders of where they were conceived," Baptiste-Forbes told the hearing. "In this case, pollution extends into Canada affecting individuals, crops and living conditions. I believe that the EPA Clean Power Plan is a step in the right direction." Ryan Scholl, the assistant to the director at Environment America, said Baptiste-Forbes "has a high level of attention to detail and is very responsible." "She cared a lot about the issues we work on and was very eager to learn new skills," Schnoll said. "The testimony she prepared was quite good, so she was one of the interns who got a chance to speak." Now ready to hit the books for her sophomore year, Baptiste-Forbes said the internship helped her to reevaluate her major in International Relations and Geography. "I think my interests have changed to be pushed away from the environmental side and I'm more interested now in economics, marketing and the actual side of selling people the severity of an issue," she said. "I really want to embrace that and build off of that and improve those communication skills." Oakville's Rebecca Baptiste-Forbes spoke about the Great Lakes during an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hearing in Washington, D.C. last month. | submitted photo $100 OFF a 3 for 1 Purchase 1 Pair Just Won't Do... Get 3 Pairs of Glasses! The Right Pair for the Right Occasion. www.3for1GlassesOakville.ca NOW BOOKING EYE EXAMS 220 North Service Rd. West @ Dorval Online booking for eye exams: www.3for1GlassesOakville.ca Accepted by All Insurance Companies. Oakville 905-849-1522