Americans Are Dying Needlessly From Air Pollution; Renewable Energy Can Make A Difference

Media release by Renewable Energy Policy Project April 9, 1997

America's air is getting cleaner, but "cleaner" may not be clean enough. According to Curtis Moore, an expert on pollution control technology, there is compelling medical evidence that even legal levels of air pollution kill and sicken millions of Americans. "In the United States alone, air pollution kills over 50,000 persons a year -- a death toll higher than traffic accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS," says Moore. "Clean renewable energy technologies can help resolve our air quality problems, but so far they have received inadequate attention from policymakers."

New medical evidence of sickness and death due to air pollution is driving the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to tighten air quality standards on ozone and particulate matter (soot and smoke). These pollutants, which are particularly dangerous to human health, result in great part from the burning of fossil fuels -- in cars, power plants and factories. Wind turbines, geothermal plants, solar thermal generators and photovoltaic panels are commercially available today, and can produce clean electricity at a reasonable cost while reducing the use of fossil fuels.

The EPA estimates that its proposed new standards would prevent thousands of premature deaths per year, and eliminate 250,000 annual cases of serious respiratory problems in children. To meet stronger air quality goals, renewable energy technologies must play an integral part in the implementation strategies. "The reasons for pursuing renewable energy are grounded firmly in the value of human life," says Moore. "The primary obstacles are economic and political."

Curtis Moore's issue brief, "Dying Needlessly: Sickness and Death Due to Energy-Related Air Pollution," is published by the Renewable Energy Policy Project, 3140 Tydings Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742. This, and other issue briefs can be downloaded at http://solstice.crest.org/renewables/repp/.

Curtis Moore, of McLean, Virginia, serves as Director of International programs for the American Lung Association, and is former counsel to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
SOURCE Renewable Energy Policy Project
CONTACT: Curtis A. Moore, American Lung Association, 703-536-2414; Adam Serchuk, Renewable Energy Policy Project, Research Coordinator, 301-405-4191

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