Physicians for Social Responsibility. “Cooking the Earth.” Physicians for Social Responsibility. PowerPoint. 2009.

Cooking the Earth: Cooking the Earth: Global Warming & Coal Global Warming & Coal

U.S. Affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

Coal: Then…Coal: Then…

……Now.Now.

Coal Pollutants: DeadlyCoal Pollutants: Deadly

Healthy Airway Inflamed Airway

Mountaintop Removal: Mountaintop Removal: Environmental DevastationEnvironmental Devastation

Spill of Post-Combustion Spill of Post-Combustion WasteWaste

December 2008December 2008

Coal: Global Warming Coal: Global Warming CulpritCulprit

““Overall… the health Overall… the health effects of a rapidly effects of a rapidly changing climate are changing climate are likely to be likely to be overwhelmingly overwhelmingly negative.” negative.” World Health Organization

The Greenhouse EffectThe Greenhouse Effect

Solar energy passes through

Radiant heat is trapped

Greenhouse gases in atmosphere

Source: Williams DL. Global Warming: The Greatest Threat. Alaska Conservation Solutions, 2006.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions By Greenhouse Gas Emissions By TypeType

Carbon Dioxide (84.1%)

Methane (8.6%)

Nitrous Oxide (5.1%)

HFCs, PFCs, SF6 (2.2%)

Source: Energy Information Administration. Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2005.

Truly A Global ProblemTruly A Global Problem

World’s Polar Ice Is World’s Polar Ice Is MeltingMelting

More Heat, Greater More Heat, Greater EvaporationEvaporation

Health Impacts of Global Health Impacts of Global WarmingWarming

European Heat Wave of European Heat Wave of 20032003

Source: NASA

Deteriorating Air QualityDeteriorating Air Quality

Heat + Dirty Fuels => Heat + Dirty Fuels => OzoneOzone

EPA

AP

Hurricane Katrina: Wake-Hurricane Katrina: Wake-up Call?up Call?

Rising Sea Levels, Rising Sea Levels, Submerging LandSubmerging Land

Extreme Precipitation, Extreme Precipitation, FloodingFlooding

Drought in AfricaDrought in Africa

UN

Drought in AmericaDrought in America

Reduced Flow from Reduced Flow from SnowpackSnowpack

Increased Water-Borne Increased Water-Borne DiseaseDisease

Increased Insect-Borne Increased Insect-Borne DiseaseDisease

UNEP/GRID-Arendal

Center for Health and the Global Environment, Harvard Medical School

Impacts on AgricultureImpacts on Agriculture

Environmental RefugeesEnvironmental Refugees

Choosing a New Energy Choosing a New Energy PathPath

Conserving Energy Conserving Energy

Energy EfficiencyEnergy Efficiency

“There’s no cheaper, cleaner power than power you don’t have to produce.”

- Gary Zarker, Seattle City Light

Smart EnergyPoliciesSmart EnergyPolicies

Clean Renewable EnergyClean Renewable EnergyWIND

SOLAR

WAVES and

TIDES

GEOTHERMAL

MEDICAL EMERGENCYMEDICAL EMERGENCY

Mobilizing Health Mobilizing Health ProfessionalsProfessionals

Code Black campaign at Code Black campaign at workwork

Thank You!Thank You!

U.S. Affiliate of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War

1875 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 1012Washington, DC 20009

www.psr.org