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Environmental Implications
Although estimates vary, electricity generation in the U.S. released
roughly 5.8 million tons of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and 6 million tons
of nitrogen oxide ( NOx )into the atmosphere in 1998. Many
additional effluent compounds are known or suspected carcinogens and
neurotoxins that can cause acute respiratory problems, and aggravate asthma
and emphysema. . In particular, coal-burning electric
power plants account for roughly 57 percent of the total industrial
air pollution in the U.S. About two-thirds of SO2, one-third
of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and one-quarter of the NOx emissions
in the U.S. are produced by coal burning. Furthermore, burning
coal also results in the emission of fine particulate matter into the
atmosphere. These fine particulates become lodged in lung tissue
raising lung cancer rates and, when combined with SO2, are linked to at
least 64,000 premature deaths annually. NOx and fine airborne
particles exacerbate asthma, reduce lung function and cause respiratory
diseases and premature death for many thousands of Americans. In
2002 there were 4,565 deaths and 465,000 hospitalizations due to asthma.
Smog formed by NOx and reactive organic gases cause crop,
forest and property damage. NOx is also the primary cause of ozone
smog. Each summer, smog provokes 6 million asthma attacks, and
results in 160,000 emergency room visits, and 53,000 hospital admissions,
in addition to causing visibility issues across the country.
SO2 and NOx combine with water in the atmosphere to create acid rain.
Acid rain acidifies the soils and water supplies killing off flora and
fauna that depend on them. Furthermore, global warming is mainly
caused by CO2 emissions released when fossil fuels like coal are burned.
In America in 1999, coal-fired power plants alone released 490.5 million
metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere (32 percent of the total CO2 emissions
for 1999). In addition, coal contains trace amounts of mercury.
When thousands of pounds of coal are burned in power plants every hour,
mercury becomes a considerable problem. Mercury in freshwater fish
has led 40 states to issue warnings about eating contaminated fish.
Mercury can cause neurological problems and developmental delays in children.
The EPA estimates that at least six million women of childbearing age
have levels of mercury in their bodies that exceed what the EPA considers
acceptable and that 375,000 babies born each year are at risk of neurological
problems due to exposure to mercury in the womb.
Coal mining causes severe erosion, resulting in the leaching
of toxic chemicals into nearby streams and aquifers, which pollutes
drinking water and destroys habitats. Thomas Casten, author of
Turning Off the Heat, writes, “In short, the excessively rapid consumption
of fossil fuel in old power plants with out-of-date pollution control
is causing local and global environmental problems.”
Last of all, the energy created using the nonpolluting solar
system described in this paper would reduce dependence on energy derived
from a nonrenewable source. A 1 kW system similar to the one described
would avoid creating up to 22 metric tons of CO2 over the 15 year useful
life of the system.
Table
6: Pollution abatement over the life of the system measured in lbs.
|
Pounds Abated
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NOx
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SO2
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CO2
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15 years
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72
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120
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44,800
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20 years
|
97
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159
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58,400
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