Health Effects from Health Effects from Fossil Fuel Fossil Fuel

Generated EnergyGenerated Energy

From Excavation, to Burning, to From Excavation, to Burning, to Disposal of WasteDisposal of WasteJane Bright, HealthLinkJane Bright, HealthLink

NESEA Conference March 14, 2007NESEA Conference March 14, 2007

About HealthLinkAbout HealthLink

Ø Started with cancer questionStarted with cancer question

Ø Asked consequences of living under Salem power plantAsked consequences of living under Salem power plant

Ø Formed all volunteer citizens groupFormed all volunteer citizens group

Ø Got informedGot informed

Ø Connected with like-minded groupsConnected with like-minded groups

Ø Helped get regulations changedHelped get regulations changed

Burning Coal and Oil-Burning Coal and Oil-Respiratory ProblemsRespiratory Problems

Ø Smog and Ozone from Smog and Ozone from NOx and SO2NOx and SO2

Ø Fine Particulates pass Fine Particulates pass through lung tissuethrough lung tissue

Ø Children breathe more air Children breathe more air proportionately, more proportionately, more exposedexposed

Ø PAHs-known carcinogenPAHs-known carcinogen

Ø Illustration Source: NIHIllustration Source: NIH http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Ards/Ardshttp://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Ards/Ards_HowLungsWork.html_HowLungsWork.html

Respiratory/Heart Diseases Respiratory/Heart Diseases Linked to Air PollutionLinked to Air Pollution

Ø AsthmaAsthmaØ Premature deathsPremature deathsØ Chronic bronchitisChronic bronchitisØ Restricted activity daysRestricted activity daysØ Respiratory hospital Respiratory hospital

admissionsadmissionsØ Cardiovascular hospital Cardiovascular hospital

admissionsadmissions

Ø Source: Harvard School of Public HealthSource: Harvard School of Public Health

Mercury: Neurotoxin Effects Mercury: Neurotoxin Effects on Children on Children

Ø Brain damageØ Mental retardationØ Poor coordinationØ Speech difficultiesØ Serious effects on the

fetus and newborn

Ø Source: Physicians for Social Responsibility

Mercury: Neurotoxin Effects Mercury: Neurotoxin Effects on Adultson Adults

Ø Personality changes Ø Tremors Ø Vision problemsØ Poor muscle coordinationØ Memory lossØ Digestive system

problems Ø Cardiovascular Ø RenalØ Ocular systems

Ø Source: Physicians for Social Responsibility

Global WarmingGlobal Warming

Ø Above pictures from Greenpeace.Above pictures from Greenpeace.Ø Left picture taken in 1922, right picture 2002Left picture taken in 1922, right picture 2002

Global Warming and Our Global Warming and Our HealthHealth

Ø Personal injury from Personal injury from severe storms, severe storms, lightning, flash floods, lightning, flash floods, and ice storms. and ice storms.

Ø More diseases spread More diseases spread by ticks and by ticks and mosquitoes, such as mosquitoes, such as West Nile Virus and West Nile Virus and Lyme disease. Lyme disease.

Ø Toxic algal blooms, or Toxic algal blooms, or red tides causing red tides causing severe illnesses, such severe illnesses, such as paralytic shellfish as paralytic shellfish poisoningpoisoning

Ø Heat-related illness Heat-related illness and deathand death

Global Warming Diseases Global Warming Diseases cont:cont:

Ø Food contaminated by E. Food contaminated by E. coli, salmonellosis coli, salmonellosis

Ø Hepatitis A, listeria, Hepatitis A, listeria, shigella, cyclospora, and shigella, cyclospora, and campylobacter from campylobacter from summer heat wavessummer heat waves

Ø Increased death rate from Increased death rate from heart failureheart failure

Ø Source: Death by Degrees from PSRSource: Death by Degrees from PSR

Ø Decreased air quality Decreased air quality from increased ozone from increased ozone (smog) levels(smog) levels

Ø Severe cases of asthma Severe cases of asthma and other respiratory and other respiratory increased allergy increased allergy problems due to problems due to heightened pollen levels heightened pollen levels and air pollutantsand air pollutants

Coal MiningCoal Mining

Source: http://magazine.audubon.org/features0703/photoessay.html

Mining Results in Community Mining Results in Community DestructionDestruction

Ø Mountaintop removal, up close and personal in Southern Mountaintop removal, up close and personal in Southern West Virginia.West Virginia.

Ø Photo by Vivian Stockman, April 23, 2005Photo by Vivian Stockman, April 23, 2005

Exxon Valdez: Exxon Valdez: 1,300 miles of shoreline were impacted1,300 miles of shoreline were impacted

Source: State of Alaska http://www.evostc.state.ak.us/History/PWSmap.cfmSource: State of Alaska http://www.evostc.state.ak.us/History/PWSmap.cfm

Toxic Combustion WasteToxic Combustion Waste

Ø Lagoons and landfills filled with Lagoons and landfills filled with coal ash present a cancer risk coal ash present a cancer risk up to 10,000 times greater up to 10,000 times greater than federal rules allow, BUT than federal rules allow, BUT EPA will not regulate!EPA will not regulate!

Ø 450 coal-burning utility plants 450 coal-burning utility plants produce more than 130 million produce more than 130 million tons of ash annuallytons of ash annually

Ø Leaches into ground water Leaches into ground water and our drinking waterand our drinking water

Ø Source: Earth JusticeSource: Earth Justice

Ø Arsenic, Arsenic, Ø Mercury, Mercury, Ø Chromium, Chromium, Ø Cadmium, Cadmium, Ø Lead, Lead, Ø Selenium and Selenium and Ø Boron Boron Ø Cause deformities, Cause deformities,

reproductive problems reproductive problems and cancers in humans.and cancers in humans.

What to Do?What to Do?

Ø Support renewable Support renewable energy energy

Ø Demand we stop Demand we stop burning and mining burning and mining fossil fuelsfossil fuels

Ø Begin with personal Begin with personal conservationconservation

Pictured: Wind turbines in DenmarkPictured: Wind turbines in Denmark

Additional ResourcesAdditional Resources

• HealtLink: HealtLink: http://www.http://www.citizensinactioncitizensinaction.org/.org/Email: healthlink@healthlink.orgEmail: healthlink@healthlink.orgPhone: 781-598-1115Phone: 781-598-1115

• Asthma: EPA Asthma: EPA http://www.epa.gov/http://www.epa.gov/airprogmairprogm/oar//oar/oaqpsoaqps//eogeog//ozonehealthozonehealth/effects.html/effects.html

• Health Publications Health Publications http://www.http://www.psrpsr.org/site/PageServer?pagename=enviro_res.org/site/PageServer?pagename=enviro_resourcesources

• American Lung AssociationAmerican Lung Association http://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/lk/links.asphttp://www.lungusa.org/site/apps/lk/links.aspx?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=36751x?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=36751

• Fine Particulates: Fine Particulates: Mass DEPMass DEPhttp://www.mass.gov/?http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=mg2terminal&L=4&L0=Home&L1=ResidenpageID=mg2terminal&L=4&L0=Home&L1=Resident&L2=Environment&L3=Air+Quality&sid=massgov2t&L2=Environment&L3=Air+Quality&sid=massgov2&b=terminalcontent&f=airquality_particulates&csid=&b=terminalcontent&f=airquality_particulates&csid=massgov2massgov2

• Global Warming Global Warming http://www.heatisonline.org/main.http://www.heatisonline.org/main.cfmcfmhttp://www.climatenetwork.org/http://www.climatenetwork.org/

• Power Plant PollutionPower Plant Pollution http://www.uspirg.org/issues/clean-air/cleanihttp://www.uspirg.org/issues/clean-air/cleaning-up-power-plantsng-up-power-plants

http://www.cleanwateraction.org/energy/indehttp://www.cleanwateraction.org/energy/index.htmx.htm

• Coal combustion WasteCoal combustion Waste http://www.catf.us/publications/view/87http://www.catf.us/publications/view/87