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environmental impacts: other air emissions

The burning of fossil fuels to produce electricity also generates an assortment of harmful air pollutants. These include nitrogen oxides, which are responsible for smog and acid rain, sulfur dioxides, which lead to acid rain and the resulting damage to freshwater lakes and streams, and mercury, a heavy metal that can cause neurological damage that is released into the atmosphere when coal is burned. Mercury eventually falls to the ground or ocean where it is absorbed by fish and shellfish. Animals higher in the food chain accumulate more of these toxins in their bodies as they eat those lower down. This includes people – at the very top of the food chain, we are most impacted by high mercury levels in seafood. For this reason, pregnant women are discouraged from eating many different kinds of fish.

These pollutants are primarily the result of burning coal, since coal is both the most widely used and most polluting fuel for electric generating plants. States where power is produced primarily through coal-fired plants contribute the most per capita to these problems. These states are generally the ones listed in the table above that also have the highest carbon dioxide emissions, since coal produces more carbon dioxide per unit of energy than any of the other fuels. West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Wyoming, Utah, North Dakota, Ohio, New Mexico, Iowa and Missouri all produce over 80% of their electricity by burning coal.

environmental impacts: other electricity sources

Other sources of electricity also come with environmental baggage. While nuclear plants don't release any global warming gases, they do present a very low risk of radioactive releases. And, no long-term solution has been developed in the US for the disposal of the highly radioactive wastes these plants inevitably produce.

Hydroelectric plants produce clean power and store water for human use, but in most cases at the expense of wildlife that depend on their associated rivers for survival. Many salmon runs in Western rivers such as the Snake and Columbia Rivers have been reduced by as much as 90% due to the migration obstacles posed by hydroelectric dams.

Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are our best alternatives to these traditional sources. They don't contribute to global warming, release any other pollutants, or threaten to harm wildlife in as dramatic a way as do hydroelectric dams⁴. They are still expensive today relative to the other options, but that is primarily because the environmental costs listed above are NOT factored into our energy prices.

what you can do

To reduce the environmental impacts of using electricity, you have two primary options: reduce your consumption of electricity, or switch to using electricity that comes from a cleaner or renewable source.

Low Impact Living believes that all of us should start by doing whatever we can to reduce our electrical consumption. By doing so, we help to avoid the construction of new power plants, and also reduce the smaller impacts of cleaner technologies like hydro, solar and wind. For those of us who have to take cost into account, renewable energy today is still more expensive than traditional electricity; reducing our use means that we don’t have to spend as much to secure it from renewable sources, or to install our own generation via solar panels.

ways to reduce your use of electricity

1. Take the “easy” steps to reducing electricity consumption. There are many ways to reduce electricity use just by changing our daily habits, or taking steps that incur little or no costs. Examples include the following:

• Turn off lights when you are not in the room. Many of us leave lights on as we wander from room to room at night. While this might not seem significant, you can reduce your lighting energy use by over 10% just by shutting off these unneeded lights.
• Shut down or unplug computer and home entertainment equipment at the wall when not in use. Many of us leave our computers, monitors and other electronic equipment on and/or plugged in when we are not using it. This wastes electricity, as many of today's electronics draw power even when they are not in use.

2. If you heat or cool with electricity, take steps to insulate and seal your house. Household heating is the single largest use of energy in most households, and central air conditioning for houses in hot climates is not far behind. Upgrades that seal leaks and insulate your house can literally shave hundreds from your utility bills. Click on the following links to find do-it-yourself insulation products and weatherization supplies. Or, get help from insulation installers or energy efficiency contractors in your area.

3. Replace existing lighting with energy-efficient options. Replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) can reduce energy usage per light by up to 70%. Today's CFLs generate warm light, are silent, and also come in versions that adapt to dimmer circuits and candelabra-style light fixtures. Other simple upgrades, such as installing motion and light sensors, can save even further. For more information on efficient lighting products, click here.

4. Buy high-efficiency Energy Star appliances and household products. Today's highest-efficiency appliances often achieve energy savings of 75% over older versions, and 25-50% off of today's “average” new appliance. Replacing household energy hogs such as your clothes washer or refrigerator with high efficiency versions can generate big savings over the life of the appliance. Get Low Impact Living-recommended options

ways to secure your electricity
from clean sources

1. Go Solar. In many parts of the country, residential solar power systems offer the best way to gain energy independence. And, new technologies and manufacturing processes are reducing costs every year. Today's panels will pay for themselves in their lifetime. If you can afford it and live in a sunny area, installing solar panels can lead to the greatest reductions in household carbon dioxide emissions. Find experienced solar installers in your area

Solar electric power is not for everyone. Even with lower prices and government rebates, it is still an expensive proposition. And, some older houses may not have the space or structural support to install them correctly. Learn more about the economics of residential solar photovoltaic systems

2. If available, switch to your utility’s renewable energy program. Today, many utilities offer their customers the option of buying 100% green power for a slightly higher monthly charge. These programs typically guarantee that the utilities buy enough additional green power from some source to service your needs. And, the more people that sign up, the cheaper green power becomes due to economies of scale. Check with your local utility to see if it offers such a program.

3. Buy Renewable Energy Certificates. Renewable Energy Certificates, or RECs, are financial instruments that allow you to “buy� the environmental benefits of a green energy project even if it occurs outside of your local power region. When you buy a REC, you are paying a green power provider the incremental cost above and beyond what it would cost to build a normal electric plant, thereby funding the development of renewable energy resources and offsetting your own nonrenewable power consumption. So, you are funding the development of green power purchases so that the same amount of energy is NOT bought from a traditional provider. RECs are inexpensive and may be a good way to buy green power if your local utility doesn’t offer this option. Investigate or purchase renewable energy credits

4 Large wind energy farms can impact migrating birds that run into the propellers and structures while flying at night. Solar plants large enough to make a substantial dent in US electricity production would take up significant areas of land in our fragile Southwestern deserts.

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