Testimony to Federal EPA on Carbon Pollution Standard 

Thursday, May 24, 2012 

Although I am now a small business consultant in Chicago, I have a Ph.D. in Materials 

Science from the University of Wisconsin. I also did postdoctoral studies at Cornell, 

University of British Columbia, and University of Washington. I was not a climatologist, 

but I do have formal training in physics and chemistry. 

I first heard about the idea of climate change in the late 1980s when I still worked in 

science. At the time I remember I thought the idea was interesting, but I was not worried 

since it seemed so far off. But over the past 25 years I have followed the debate, and I 

have become increasingly concerned. The scientific evidence is now overwhelming that 

we are affecting the earth's climate through burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and other 

practices. 

For approximately 800,000 years, the global average carbon dioxide level in the 

atmosphere was below 300 PPM. Beginning approximately 250 years ago, roughly 

coinciding with the start of the industrial revolution, carbon dioxide began increasing. 

The level now stands at about 393 PPM. In an early paper, Dr. James Hansen estimated 

the safe level for carbon dioxide was about 450 PPM. Then a few years ago, based on a 

detailed look at historical data from ice core samples and other sources, he revised his 

estimate downward from 450 to 350. This threshold of 350 PPM is now accepted by most 

scientists as the maximum level at which our earth's climate is stable. 

We are now 43 PPM above this level, and climbing every year. Furthermore, the rate of 

increase is itself increasing. In the 1960s the average rate of increase was I PPM per year. 

Today the average yearly increase is over 2 PPM. At some point, carbon emissions will 

reach a tipping point, where the rate of increase goes out of control. The point where this 

will happen is not certain. But if it does happen, civilization as we know it will be in 

danger from rising sea levels, violent storms, flooding, droughts, and species extinctions 

due to loss of natural habitats. The tipping point may be as little as 50 years from now if 

we continue on our present course. 

While there is strong evidence that climate change is being caused by man, and it is 

getting worse, our country is not addressing the core problem in a meaningful way. The 

Carbon Pollution Standard would be an important step in the right direction. It will either 

force new coal power plants to invest in new technologies to reduce carbon emissions, or 

change to lower carbon intensive power sources. The ruling will effectively increase 

demand for wind, solar, and energy efficiency. 

I live in a high-rise condo along Lake Shore drive in downtown Chicago. Over the past 

few years the weather here has become more extreme. Higher wind speeds, more violent 

thunderstorms, warmer days and nights, especially during the spring and fall. This past 

winter was one of the warmest in Chicago history, and in March we broke several records 

for high temperatures. 
I grew up on the east coast and have friends across the United States. No matter where I 

go, people tell me stories about how the weather is getting crazy. 

The fossil fuel industry will fight every new regulation proposed by the EPA. They will 

say this regulation will destroy jobs. But what they will not say is that it should lead to 

new jobs and even new industries. Studies show that new coal power plants create fewer 

jobs than solar power plants or wind turbines. The Carbon Pollution Standard should lead 

to a net increase in jobs in our country. By helping to level the playing field for non-fossil 

fuels, it will begin to reduce our country's carbon emissions, which will in turn help slow 

down climate change. 

The effect of increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is not just a local or a regional 

problem. It is a global problem. The United States is still the world's economic leader. 

We may have lost ground recently during the recession, but we can recover. The Carbon 

Pollution Standard will help us get our economy back on track by shifting investments 

toward low carbon energy sources, leading to new technologies and new jobs. This is not 

just good for the environment; it is good for our economy. 

Andrew Clarke 

Chicago, IL 

312-498-4071