understand the economics of traditional versus
renewable energy sources.
In addition to public health concerns, air
pollution from coal-burning power plants contributes to crop damage, acid rain and reduced
visibility in our national parks. And electricity generation contributes over 40 percent of
national carbon dioxide emissions, the greenhouse gas most strongly implicated in climate
change ( epa.gov/airtrends).
Crume Pie Chart Title In This Space
Subhed here
Coal Dominates U.S. Electricity Generation
Electricity generation contributes over 40 percent
of national carbon dioxide emissions
reducing air Pollution
in Our communities
We can take more steps in our communities
and at all levels of government to reduce energy
use in buildings and cut air pollution emissions.
These steps include —
1. Expanding tax credits, rebate programs and
government subsidies that encourage investment in green building technologies and
renewable energy sources. (See dsireusa.org
for details on existing incentives.)
2. Establishing rigorous energy-efficiency standards in local building codes and ordinances.
3. Developing and promoting guidelines for
improving the energy performance of existing structures.
4. Promoting green power programs that allow
consumers and businesses to purchase renewable energy certificates and to offset the cost
of producing renewable energy. (See the
EPA’s Green Power Locator at epa.gov/
greenpower/pubs/ gplocator.htm.)
5. Working for stringent environmental controls
on both new and existing electric generating
stations that burn fossil fuels like coal.
6. Assessing whether businesses are good candidates
for combined heat and power systems, which can
■ Coal 48.5%
■ Natural Gas 21.6%
■ Nuclear 19.4%
■ Hydroelectric 5.8%
■ Other Renewables 2.5%
■ Petroleum 1.6%
■ Other 0.6%
Source: sOurce: “eNergy star aND Other cLImate PrOtectION ParNershIPs” 2008 aNNuaL rePOrt, u.s. eNVIrONmeNta L PrOtectION ageNcy, December 2009
( energystar.gov).
increase operational efficiency while reducing
energy costs. (Read about the EPA’s Combined
Heat and Power Partnership at epa.gov/chp.)
7. Encouraging building owners to publicly disclose their property’s energy performance
through a website or a display at the building.
8. Pressing regulators to move forward with
the backlog of environmental regulations
already authorized in existing federal and
state legislation.
9. Educating the public about the health and
environmental concerns associated with polluted air and about the availability of tools
Commercial and
residential buildings in the
United States account for 68
percent of total electricity
generation and 39 percent
of total energy use. By 2025,
buildings may account for up
keN haggar D
It can be hard to quantify the health benefits
linked to reducing greenhouse gases like carbon
dioxide, but green building advocates can point
to concrete positive results when talking about air
pollution reduction.
to three-quarters of all
electricity consumption.
Air Pollution affects
how far we see
Today, in the Eastern United States, the distance we can see with the unaided
human eye has been reduced to just 15
to 30 miles on average, about one-third
of what it would be in the absence of polluted air. Similarly, in the West, the typical
visual range is 60 to 90 miles, a reduction
of 50 percent over natural conditions. Poor
visibility occurs when small air pollution
particles scatter and absorb sunlight (epa.
gov/airtrends).
like the Air Quality Index, which provides air-quality alerts daily ( airnow.gov).
Among the advantages to green buildings,
cleaner outside air is seldom discussed. Yet the
adverse health effects associated with breathing polluted air are undeniable, and the benefits
from living in cleaner air have been well-established. Perhaps polluted air does not receive the
attention it deserves because it is hard to see air
pollution, and consequently, it is easy to take air
quality for granted.
By including outdoor air quality among
the benefits of green building programs, a
clearer picture will emerge of the advantages
of sustainable energy sources and the need to
promote renewable energy alternatives at an
accelerated pace. ST
