So making the air healthier truly requires that we learn to do more with less energy.
Pollution from power plants contributes to the four leading causes of death in the U.S., according to ACEEE and PSR. These are: cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, heart disease, and stroke.
More specifically, power plants produce particulate matter and nitrogen oxides that harm the respiratory system. Besides contributing to illnesses like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, these pollutants are linked to asthma, which affects a disproportionate number of minority children, according to the two groups.
Fossil fuel emissions also are bad for the circulatory, nervous system, including the brain, which is vulnerable to mercury and lead pollution that can contribute to stroke and intellectual impairment.
For more details on the health benefits of energy efficiency see the ACEEE/PSR document here.
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