Stop Controlling Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Power Plants

Open Email to Rep. Tim Murphy, Chairman Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations:

Dear Chairman Murphy,
 I am addressing this to you, because in the description of your Subcommittee, it is said that you have the responsibility to oversee all agencies and programs within the committee jurisdiction [Energy], with respect to abuse.
 There is an interesting article entitled, "Striving to Capture Carbon" in the November 25 issue of Chemical and Engineering News. You may want to assign someone on your staff to read the article and report to you. Meanwhile, I will give you a few comments.
 The essence of the article is the activity of the Obama Administration and particularly Energy Sec. Ernest J Moniz (DOE) in spending taxpayer money to promote the capture of carbon dioxide from coal burning power plants. Similar efforts are being applied by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through restricting carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.
 For a little perspective on this matter, let's start with the fact that nitrogen and oxygen, which are normal constituents of the atmosphere are greenhouse gases. Carbon dioxide is also a greenhouse gas, but apparently agency accent is on the fact that new carbon dioxide is being added to the atmosphere through burning of carbon containing fuels, whereas there is no similar addition of nitrogen and oxygen.
 The other key point is that even with the continuing addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, it still is present only to the extent of 0.05%. Since it is no more a greenhouse gas than are nitrogen and oxygen, its greenhouse effect must be essentially insignificant compared to the major components of the atmosphere. In other words, it is obviously a dumb idea to even be concerned about carbon dioxide emissions.
 In following this will-o'-the-wisp, Sec. Moniz has just put $270 million into a new power plant in Kemper County, Mississippi, with carbon capture. He is also giving grants totaling $84 million to 18 new experimental projects to capture carbon dioxide.
 While I am concerned with the wasting of $354 million of taxpayer money and the DOE promotion of capturing carbon dioxide from power plants, I am more concerned with the overall program of putting existing coal burning power producers out of business and replacing them with considerably higher-priced installations which will radically and unnecessarily increase electricity prices. It is also probable that the EPA control of carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants has more effect in increasing electricity prices than does the action of the DOE. It is obvious that as a consumer pays more for electricity, he has less money for purchase of other goods, leading to lower production of other goods and loss of jobs.
  I strongly suggest you get onto DOE Sec. Ernest Moniz and EPA Sec. Gina McCarthy and have them stop this nonsense.