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May 24, 2012 

COMMENT ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S PROPOSED 

NEW STANDARDS TO LIMIT CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS FROM NEW POWER PLANTS 

My name is Ted Steck. I am an emeritus professor at the University of Chicago where I was founder of 

the Environmental Studies Program and its chair for several years. My long-standing interest in 

environmental policy prompts me to express my strong support for the proposed new standards limiting 

carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants. 

To me, the principal issues are the following: 

• There is overwhelming scientific evidence that the Earth's atmosphere is warming at an 

increasing and alarming rate. 

• Experts envision that this global warming will impose severely negative impacts on human wellbeing. 

• Human activities and, in particular, the burning of fossil fuels with the release of carbon dioxide 

are the principal causes of this climate change. 

• Because carbon dioxide is cleared from the atmosphere very slowly, global warming and its 

impacts will increase for centuries even after its emission ceases. 

• The nations of the world have been slow to respond to this increasing hazard. 

• It is therefore very important for this nation to act immediately to drastically curtail the emission 

of greenhouse gases--and carbon dioxide in particular. 

• The burning of coal for electric power generation is a major source of the rise in carbon dioxide. 

• While coal is plentiful and inexpensive, it is unfavorable as a fuel because, compared to other 

major energy sources, it gives the lowest yield energy per carbon dioxide emitted. 

• In addition, the emissions from burning coal can have a highly negative impact on human health 

and well-being through acid rain, the release of toxic mercury into the environment and the 

generation of small particles, called PM 2.5s, which are responsible for significant 

cardiovascular death and disability. 

• Fortunately, a variety of alternative energy sources are available and are becoming increasingly 

cost-competitive with coal. 

• Furthermore, it has been shown that carbon dixoide emissions from burning coal can be 

captured prior to its release so as not to pollute the air. The captured C02 can then be put to 

commercial use; in particular, for expelling petroleum from the ground. 

• At the present time, however, the technology for carbon capture and sequestration is not well 

developed and is too expensive for general use. 

• The new standards proposed by the EPA will therefore have several beneficial effects: 

o They will prevent high-polluting coal-burning power plants from being built. 

o They will stimulate the development of new and cost-effective ways to burn coal with low 

C02 emissions; in particular, through carbon capture and sequestration technology. 

o They will stimulate the development of cost-competitive clean alternative energy sources, 

thereby reducing the use of coal altogether. 

o They will demonstrate this country's commitment to global warming mitigation and 

thereby contribute favorably to our climate negotiations with other nations. 

o Lastly, these new standards will help to slow the rise in greenhouse gas emissions and 

the rate of global warming. 

Theodore L. Steck, M.D., Professor Emeritus 

The University of Chicago 

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

g2g East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637 

e-mail: tsteck@bsd.uchicago.edu