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Energy Conservation
Guides
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The production and consumption of energy from conventional sources impacts and damages our world in many ways. We can reduce those impacts by using less energy.
Energy Conservation mitigates:
Global Warming:
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Fossil fuel burning produces greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides (25% increase in atmospheric CO2 in the past 150 years). |
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Leads to atmospheric warming and global climate change - heat waves, droughts, stronger and more frequent hurricanes, rising sea levels and coastal inundation, damaged ecosystems, species extinction, changes in agricultural productivity, migration of tropic diseases northward, etc. |
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Air Pollution:
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Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, hydrocarbons, ozone (smog) |
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These pollutants can cause bronchitis and pneumonia, irritate the lungs, and cause childhood asthma. |
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Nitrogen oxides cause the brown haze seen over many cities. |
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Ozone can cause permanent lung damage and reduce crop yields. |
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Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides contribute to acid rain, which causes the death of lakes the world over, including the Adirondacks, even remote parts of Alaska. |
Water Pollution:
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Oil spills |
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Coal mining - acids run off into waterways. |
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Thermal water pollution - cooling water from thermal power plants kills aquatic life when returned to rivers. |
Land Destruction:
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Hydropower dams - flood and destroy forestland, native lands, and destroys salmon runs and wildlife migratory routes. |
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Strip mining (coal) |
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Oil drilling |
Reliance on Nuclear Power:
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Problem of nuclear waste disposal -- nuclear wastes must be sequestered from the natural environment for 250,000 years. |
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Safety issues associated with operation of older nuclear plants which have embrittled piping, pumps, etc. - increasing the possibility of ruptures and leaks and releases radioactive emissions into the air and water. |
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Possibility of catastrophic meltdown. |
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Vulnerability to terrorist attack and massive radioactivity release. |
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Costs and impacts associated with nuclear power plant decommissioning. |
Foreign Dependence:
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Alliances with undemocratic governments in oil exporting countries and resultant human rights violations. |
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Risks and costs of fighting oil wars. |
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Oil revenues may fund terrorist groups. |
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