| |
| Solar Energy Fact Sheets
Informative Fact Sheets
about Solar Energy
|
Solar: Clean and Healthy Energy
"The extraction, conversion,
and utilization of energy is the single largest component of air and water pollution,
as well as emissions causing the change of our global climate."
-Christine A. Ervin, Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
(Department of Energy), 1997
Doctors attribute 50,000 American deaths per year to airborne particulate matter,
about one-third of which comes from powerplants.
Enough sunlight reaches the earth's surface each year to produce approximately
1,000 times the same amount of energy produced by burning all fossil fuels mined
and extracted during the same time period. Sunlight does not have to be explored,
mined, extracted, transported, combusted, transmitted or imported.
Energy Production and Pollution
Power plants are responsible for 72 percent of all sulfur dioxide emissions
in the US, they also contribute 33 percent of all nitrogen oxide emissions,
32 percent of all emissions of particulate matter, 23 percent of the nation's
mercury emissions and 36 percent of all emissions of carbon dioxide, the dominant
greenhouse gas.
The annual output of an average 500 megawatt coal-fired power plant is: 225
pounds of arsenic, 500 tons of particulates, four pounds of cadmium, 5,000 tons
of sulfur oxides, 114 pounds of lead, one million tons of carbon (mostly carbon
dioxide) and 10,000 tons of nitrogen oxides.
About 98% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions are caused directly by the combustion
of fossil fuels.10 Electricity generation from fossil fuels is the largest single
source of carbon emissions in the US. In 1990, utilities emitted about 477 million
metric tons of carbon, and these emissions are forecasted to grow to almost
596 million metric tons in 2010.
Pollution, Your Health and Solar Energy
The EPA reports that 90 million citizens breathe air below minimum quality
standards with 33 areas exceeding federal smog standards.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has confirmed the greenhouse
effect, which will worsen if "business as usual" scenarios prevail.
Even global insurance companies have become deeply concerned as weather-related
property claims have tripled in the past decade.
Solar energy is the pollution solution- it requires two-thirds less water with
negligible air and water pollution emissions.
Solar energy comes in many forms. Photovoltaics (PV) convert sunlight directly
to electricity and are now being used to power everything from roadside phones
to suburban homes. Solar energy is also used to heat pools and to produce hot
water, saving consumers millions of dollars annually. Large scale solar power
plants now generate enough clean electricity to power thousands of homes day
and night, rain or shine.
Air Pollutants, what are they and why should I care?
| Carbon Dioxide |
Carbon dioxide is an invisible gas that accounts for about
two-thirds of all heat trapped by greenhouse gases.4 The best scientific
evidence to date indicates that human-induced climate change (from global
warming and other sources) is now occurring and threatens human health from
increases in the spread of diseases like malaria, yellow fever, and cholera. |
| Particulates |
Also known as soot or smoke, these fine particles evade the
body's natural defenses and lodge deep in the lungs, producing an array
of serious health impacts, including reductions in lung capacity, aggravation
of pre-existing respiratory ailments, cancer and even death.13 Studies have
shown that lives are shortened by one to two years in the more polluted
areas.12 Particulates have been linked to hospitalizations for heart attacks,
angina and heart failure. Researchers estimate that almost 1,200 heart disease
hospital admissions in Detroit each year can be attributed to particulate
matter pollution. |
| Sulfur Dioxide(SO2) |
A toxic, invisible gas that is the primary precursor of acid
rain, SO2 emissions react in the atmosphere to form tiny acidic particles
which can cause many serious adverse impacts such as breathing constriction
and visibility impairment. The acidic particles washed out of the air by
rain have acidified over 1,000 large lakes and thousands of streams in the
US - harming delicate ecosystems. |
| Ozone |
Also referred to as smog, ozone directly harms the respiratory
system causing a reduction in lung function (sometimes permanent). It causes
chest pain and coughing, and worsens the effects of bronchitis, emphysema,
and asthma. A recent Harvard study reported that emergency room visits and
hospitalizations for respiratory problems doubled on days with high ozone
levels. |
| Nitrogen Oxides |
NOx are gases that can result in numerous health impacts such
as decreased pulmonary function, lung inflammations, immune system changes,
and eye irritation It can also contribute to acid rain. |
| Lead, Mercury, Arsenic and other hazards |
These toxic emissions can cause cancer, brain damage, reproductive
disorders, birth defects and in extreme cases even death. These toxic emissions
contribute to the contamination of water bodies and then find their way
into animals and plants that humans consume. |
|
