The health costs of dirty energy

Many health problems are caused by our energy system.
I think there are about three main methods by which this happens:
1. Pollution
-Where it's coming from:
http://energyintransition.blogspot.com/2010/03/pollution-its-waste.html
-How it contributes to health problems:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Health_effects_of_pollution.png
http://www.epa.gov/region7/air/quality/health.htm
2. Climate change
-Where it's coming from:
http://energyintransition.blogspot.com/2010/03/climate-change-problem-and-solutions.html
-How it contributes to health problems:
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs266/en/index.html
3. Energy poverty
Where it's coming from:
http://energyintransition.blogspot.com/2010/04/energy-poverty.html
-How it contributes to health problems:
http://www.iea.org/weo/implication.asp

Now,we're probably all wondering why this goes unchecked.
The first reason is that the effects are usually cumulative,it happens over time.While it won't suddenly kill you,it decreases quality of life-more than it does quantity of life.
The second reason health problems caused by our energy system go unchecked, is because there are so many "culprits",we don't know who to blame!
When almost every activity we do requires some energy,and nearly all of our energy comes from dirty fossil fuels,there's just way to many sources of pollution to trace.

But just because health problems from pollution take a while to show up,doesn't mean that it's not a problem.
""Air pollution is estimated to cause approximately two million premature deaths worldwide per year," said Michal Krzyzanowski, an air quality adviser at the WHO Regional Office for Europe. A World Health Organization (WHO) report estimates that diseases triggered by indoor and outdoor air pollution kill 656,000 Chinese citizens each year, and polluted drinking water kills another 95,600.
In neighboring India, air pollution is believed to cause 527,700 fatalities a year. In the United States, premature deaths from toxic air pollutants are estimated at 41,200 annually."
(From National Geographic).

Petroleum=power and political problems

This article on the Natural Resources Defense Council's website can't be improved:
http://www.nrdc.org/air/transportation/aoilpolicy2.asp
The new energy system reduces (and eventually eliminates) our oil-dependence through increased efficiency of existing fuels,and deployment of alternative fuels.
Two excellent books on this topic,that I enjoyed,are:
-Winning the oil endgame (by:Amory B. Lovins)
-The end of oil:on the edge of a perilous new world (by Paul Roberts)
Many alternatives to oil exist.One particularly interesting and powerful combination is solar photovoltaics and electric vehicles.The resource I recommend for this is: http://solarchargeddriving.com/.
This is just one excellent example of how we can begin to end our oil addiction.
Enjoy these excellent resources!

Energy poverty

"Energy Poverty is a term for a lack of access to electricity, heat, or other forms of Power. Often referring to the situation of peoples in the developing world",says Wikipedia.
According to the International Energy Agency,1.6 billion people have no access to electricity.

How our energy system caused this:
1.Our energy system is expensive.Not only the initial cost,but the operating costs.
2.It continually needs fuel input.The fuel often needs to be transported considerable distances,can be hard to find in some places,and adds to the overall cost of power.
3.It only works on a large scale.If you want power,it comes in one size-large.
While 500 MW is the norm for coal, it can be much greater.The U.S. has 126 coal-fired generating units over 1,000 MW.The typical nuclear power plant is well over 1 GW.
The problem with this is that these plants won't be built where they need to be built-in energy poor,and financially poor,areas.Building the energy distribution network,or grid,will also add to overall cost of power.

How the new energy system solves this:
1. While clean energy technologies have high (though rapidly falling) up-front costs,operating costs are usually $0.
2. Most renewable energy technologies require zero fuel input.This increases reliability and affordability.
3.It works at any scale,large or small.It can be built up incrementally,as you can afford it.
4.Building the clean energy infrastructure that we need will create jobs that can lift people out of poverty.
5.The new energy economy will invest more in R&D (research and development),bringing the costs down,and the quality up,so that everyone will be able to have the quality of life that we enjoy because of energy.

For more info:http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/05/energy_poverty101.html http://www.rice.edu/energy/research/poverty&energy/index.ml

Later I'll cover in more detail such topics as: How green jobs can eradicate poverty,How we can fight energy poverty while fighting climate change,The economics of our energy system,etc.