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HowDoesElectricityAffecttheEnvironment?
byVanThompson,DemandMedia

Electricityisaninvisibleandnaturallyoccurringforce
thatcanbeseeninsuchnaturalphenomenaas
lightningandtheshockyousometimesgetwhenyou
touchmetal.Thecultivationofelectricityforhumanuse
offersnumerousconveniences,butitcanalsoharmthe
environmentandincreasehealthriskstopeople.
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VaryingImpacts

Electricitydoesn'tcomeonlyfrompower
lines.

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Powercompaniesuseavarietyofprocessestocreateelectricity,
andnotallprocessesaffecttheenvironmentinthesameway.
Forexample,coalisamuchmoreenvironmentallyproblematic
sourceofenergythansolarpower,whichhasminimal
environmentaleffects.Otherformsofelectricitygeneration
includenaturalgas,hydroelectricpowerplants,nuclearenergy
andoil.

GreenhouseGases

Mostmechanismsforgeneratingelectricityreleasecarbon
dioxideandothergreenhousegasesgasesthatabsorband
emitradiationintoEarth'satmosphere.Whilesmallquantities
WhatFactorsAffecttheCarrying
ofcarbondioxideexistnaturallyintheatmosphere,the
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generationofelectricityhasgreatlyincreasedthepresenceof
greenhousegasesintheplanet'satmosphere.Theoverwhelming
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majorityofscientistsbelievethatthiscontributestoanunnatural
degreeofglobalwarmingthathasthepotentialtoaffectthe
globalclimate,destroyanimalpopulationsandchangelocalecosystems.
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CoolingRatesofLiquids?

PollutionandAcidRain
Almostallformsofelectricitygeneratewaste.Forexample,naturalgasreleasescarbondioxideand
nitrogenoxide.Earth'satmospheretrapsthesegases,leadingtoairpollutionandsmog.Weather
patternsandgeologicalvariationscanaffecttheprevalenceofsmoginaparticulararea.Forexample,a

valleytrappedbetweenhillswithlittlewindmighttrapapocketofsmog.Whensmogcontainingsulfur
dioxideandnitrogenoxideisreleasedintotheatmosphere,itcancontaminateprecipitationandrain
backdownasacidrain.

WasteDisposalChallenges
Almostallformsofelectricitygenerationproducesomewaste,butenergysourcessuchasnuclearenergy
producedangeroussolidwastes.Somesourcesofradioactivewasteremainradioactiveforthousandsof
years,whichmeansthewastecancausecancerandgeneticmutationsinhumansandanimals.
Radioactivewastemayalterthesoil'schemicalcomposition,makingitunsafeforlocalwildlifeand
potentiallykillingoffplantspecies.Burningcoalproducesatypeofsolidwastecalledash,whichis
frequentlydepositedinlandfills,contributingtolandfilloverfill.TheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency
saysitispossibletorecyclethismaterialintocementandotherusefulproducts,andsomecoal
manufacturersrecycletheirwaste.

InjuriestoWildlife
Boththegenerationanddeliveryofelectricitycanharmlocalwildlife.Birdsmayflyintopowerlines,
resultinginelectrocution.Windfarmsendangerflyinganimalssuchasbatsandbirds.Nopower
generationsystemcanbeperfect,andpowerplantaccidentscanalsoinjureanimals.Forexample,a
2009studyfoundthattheChernobylnucleardisasterresultedinloweranimalpopulationseven20
yearsafterthedisaster.
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References
UnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgency:HowDoesElectricityAffecttheEnvironment?
(http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energyandyou/affect/)
NationalEndowmentfortheArts:HowElectricityGenerationAffectstheEnvironment
(http://app2.nea.gov.sg/docs/defaultsource/trainingknowledgehub/e2howelectricity
generationaffectstheenvironment.pdf?sfvrsn=0)
PowerScorecard:ElectricityandtheEnvironment(http://www.powerscorecard.org/elec_env.cfm)
WorldNuclearAssociation:EnvironmentandHealthinElectricityGeneration(http://www.world

nuclear.org/info/EnergyandEnvironment/EnvironmentandHealthinElectricityGeneration/)
UnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgency:WhatIsAcidRain?
(http://www.epa.gov/acidrain/what/index.html)
ScienceDaily:ElectrocutionofBirdsandCollisionWithPowerLinesSolutionstoaGlobalProblem
(http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101203081805.htm)
Reuters:ChernobylAnimalsWorseAffectedThanThoughtStudy
(http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/03/18/uschernobylradiationidUSTRE52H09020090318)
U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency:RadioactiveWasteDisposalAnEnvironmentalPerspective
(http://www.epa.gov/radiation/docs/radwaste/)
U.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgency:Coal(http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energyand
you/affect/coal.html)

AbouttheAuthor
VanThompsonisanattorneyandwriter.Aformermartialartsinstructor,heholdsbachelor'sdegreesin
musicandcomputersciencefromWestchesterUniversity,andajurisdoctorfromGeorgiaState
University.Heistherecipientofnumerouswritingawards,includinga2009CALILegalWriting
Award.

PhotoCredits
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