In response to the Oct. 26 article "Students 'heart clean air,' protest PSU's use of coal," while the movement is deeply rooted in good, the Penn State Beyond Coal members have a great ignorance for their local cause. In a Jan. 18, 2005 Collegian article, 'Steam plants keep Penn State warm," Office of the Physical Plant superintendent of steam services, Paul Moser was quoted saying the Campus Steam Plants provide steam for heating all campus buildings, for hot water and sanitation in laboratories.

The steam is also used to generate 6 to 7 percent of the university's total electricity and is ready to be used as emergency power for the entire campus if needed. He also explained that the ash and other harmful chemicals are collected in Gore-Tex bags.

This system collects 99.9 percent of ash and other agents and the large smokestack at the West Campus Steam Plant almost never has exhaust of any type coming out of it. This raises a few important questions for the club members: How will we replace the energy that the steam plants produce? Coal provides 60 percent of our total energy consumption, and the steam plants are the most efficient of their kind.

Eliminating them will greatly increase our consumption of polluting power outside of University Park, creating a net positive effect on pollution.

How will we replace our emergency needs? Renewable energy is a poor source of stand-by power. And who will pay for it? According to the OPP Web site, Penn State currently buys 20 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, which causes an increase in our tuition and fees. Again, I think the club has good intentions and goals, but the University Park Steam Plants are the last coal plants that the club wants to go after. The plants' efficiency and collection system make them some of the cleanest coal in the country.

Zach Van Horn

junior-nuclear engineering