Transcript Health Effects from Fossil Fuel Generated Energy

Health Effects from
Fossil Fuel
Generated Energy
From Excavation, to Burning, to
Disposal of Waste
Jane Bright, HealthLink
NESEA Conference March 14, 2007
About HealthLink
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Started with cancer question
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Asked consequences of living under Salem power plant
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Formed all volunteer citizens group
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Got informed
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Connected with like-minded groups
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Helped get regulations changed
Burning Coal and OilRespiratory Problems
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Smog and Ozone from
NOx and SO2
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Fine Particulates pass
through lung tissue
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Children breathe more air
proportionately, more
exposed
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PAHs-known carcinogen
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Illustration Source: NIH
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Ards/Ar
ds_HowLungsWork.html
Respiratory/Heart Diseases
Linked to Air Pollution
Asthma
Ø Premature deaths
Ø Chronic bronchitis
Ø Restricted activity days
Ø Respiratory hospital
admissions
Ø Cardiovascular hospital
admissions
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Source: Harvard School of Public Health
Mercury: Neurotoxin Effects
on Children
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Brain damage
Mental retardation
Poor coordination
Speech difficulties
Serious effects on the
fetus and newborn
Source: Physicians for Social Responsibility
Mercury: Neurotoxin Effects
on Adults
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Personality changes
Tremors
Vision problems
Poor muscle coordination
Memory loss
Digestive system
problems
Cardiovascular
Renal
Ocular systems
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Source: Physicians for Social Responsibility
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Global Warming
Above pictures from Greenpeace.
Ø Left picture taken in 1922, right picture 2002
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Global Warming and Our
Health
Toxic algal blooms, or
red tides causing
severe illnesses, such
as paralytic shellfish
poisoning
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Personal injury from
severe storms,
lightning, flash floods,
and ice storms.
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More diseases spread Ø Heat-related illness
by ticks and
and death
mosquitoes, such as
West Nile Virus and
Lyme disease.
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Global Warming Diseases
cont:
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Food contaminated by E.
coli, salmonellosis
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Decreased air quality
from increased ozone
(smog) levels
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Hepatitis A, listeria,
shigella, cyclospora, and
campylobacter from
summer heat waves
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Severe cases of asthma
and other respiratory
increased allergy
problems due to
heightened pollen levels
and air pollutants
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Increased death rate from
heart failure
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Source: Death by Degrees from PSR
Coal Mining
Source: http://magazine.audubon.org/features0703/photoessay.html
Mining Results in Community
Destruction
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Mountaintop removal, up close and personal in Southern
West Virginia.
Photo by Vivian Stockman, April 23, 2005
Exxon Valdez:
1,300 miles of shoreline were impacted
Source: State of Alaska http://www.evostc.state.ak.us/History/PWSmap.cfm
Toxic Combustion Waste
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Lagoons and landfills filled with
coal ash present a cancer risk
up to 10,000 times greater
than federal rules allow, BUT
EPA will not regulate!
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450 coal-burning utility plants
produce more than 130 million
tons of ash annually
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Leaches into ground water and
our drinking water
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Source: Earth Justice
Arsenic,
Ø Mercury,
Ø Chromium,
Ø Cadmium,
Ø Lead,
Ø Selenium and
Ø Boron
Ø Cause deformities,
reproductive problems
and cancers in humans.
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What to Do?
Support renewable
energy
Ø Demand we stop
burning and mining
fossil fuels
Ø Begin with personal
conservation
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Pictured: Wind turbines in Denmark
Additional Resources
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HealtLink:
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http://www.citizensinaction.org/
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 781-598-1115
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Health Publications
http://www.psr.org/site/PageServer?pagena
me=enviro_resources
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Mass DEP
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=mg2terminal&L=4&L
0=Home&L1=Resident&L2=Environment&L3=Air+Q
uality&sid=massgov2&b=terminalcontent&f=airqualit
y_particulates&csid=massgov2
Asthma: EPA
http://www.epa.gov/airprogm/oar/oaqps/eog/
ozonehealth/effects.html
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Global Warming
http://www.heatisonline.org/main.cfm
http://www.climatenetwork.org/
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Power Plant Pollution
http://www.uspirg.org/issues/cleanair/cleaning-up-power-plants
http://www.cleanwateraction.org/energy/inde
x.htm
American Lung Association
http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/lk/links.asp
x?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=36751
Fine Particulates:
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Coal combustion Waste
http://www.catf.us/publications/view/87