Use of renewables can reduce public health impacts, says Harvard
BOSTON, Massachusetts, US, 2004-06-16 Refocus Weekly Increased levels of CO2 and warmer climates stimulate the production of ragweed pollen and moulds, with major health impacts on residents, according to a report from Harvard Medical School.
Local initiatives can go a long way to encouraging renewable energy sources
and other interventions with rapid pay-back periods, explains ‘Inside the
Greenhouse: The Impacts of CO2 & Climate Change on Public Health in the
Inner City.’ Converting from fossil fuels to greater use of renewables, energy
efficiency, hybrid vehicles, green buildings and improved public transport “would
reduce all the by-products of extraction and combustion (including NOx, SOx,
VOCs, particulates and mercury), reduce CO2 levels now altering plant growth and
soil organisms and help to stabilize the climate.”
“A properly-financed clean energy transition would produce many new
industries, new jobs and boost international trade,” it explains. “The clean
energy transition can become the engine of growth for the 21st century, helping
to alleviate poverty and initiate a more equitable, healthy and sustainable form
of development.”
The report examines the impacts of rising levels of CO2 from combustion of
fossil fuels in vehicles, and the damage to respiratory systems among children
and the disproportionate impacts on poor people and minority groups in inner
cities. The estimated cost of treating asthma in those younger than 18 years of
age in the U.S. is $3.2 billion per year.
“From extraction to combustion, oil takes an enormous toll on the environment
and on public health, and the impacts fall disproportionately on poor nations
and poor and minority populations within developed nations,” and the report
lists a range of strategies that would reduce the public health impacts of
climate change at the local level.
In the residential sector, the report suggests setting energy efficiency
standards for new construction or major renovations, a solar access ordinance,
incentives for solar DHW and pool heating as well as solar PV applications,
ordinances for passive solar design and solar orientation, as well as tax
incentives and rebates for PV installations.
In the commercial sector, it recommends lower business fees or waiving of
permits for the use of solar energy, and building-specific renewable energy
applications such as installing solar hot water heating for locker rooms of
recreational facilities. The industrial sector needs lower business fees for
fuel switching to solar energy, while the transportation sector needs solar PV
charging stations for electric vehicle charging.
Gas and electric utilities need to purchase green power and specify renewable
energy content for local government operations, and negotiate minimum standards
for renewable energy portfolio. They should also negotiate aggregate purchasing
contracts that specify renewable power for commercial and residential sectors,
and implement programs which offer residents and companies the option of
purchasing renewable power for a surcharge. Local governments must adopt street
and emergency lighting that uses solar PV and purchase green power and specify
renewable energy content for local government operations.
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