Energy Efficiency: A tool for health and a livable Climate Barbara - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

energy efficiency a tool for health and a livable climate
SMART_READER_LITE
LIVE PREVIEW

Energy Efficiency: A tool for health and a livable Climate Barbara - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Energy Efficiency: A tool for health and a livable Climate Barbara Gottlieb Director, PSR Environment & Health program Midwest Energy Solutions Conference February 27, 2020 What is a medical group doing here? Energy Efficiency is an


slide-1
SLIDE 1

Energy Efficiency: A tool for health and a livable Climate

Barbara Gottlieb Director, PSR Environment & Health program

Midwest Energy Solutions Conference February 27, 2020

slide-2
SLIDE 2

What is a medical group doing here?

Energy Efficiency is an essential tool for health:

  • In the home
  • Outside
  • Everywhere! (Climate

change)

slide-3
SLIDE 3

Health benefits of the Energy-Efficient home: protect from heat, cold…

slide-4
SLIDE 4

…from damp, dust, and mold

slide-5
SLIDE 5

…from pest infestations & outside air pollutants

slide-6
SLIDE 6

Buildings: big energy users, big polluters

slide-7
SLIDE 7

Efficient energy USE helps reduce air pollution

By reducing demand for power generation, we can reduce:

  • Heart attacks
  • Stroke
  • Respiratory diseases, from

asthma to COPD

  • Cancer
slide-8
SLIDE 8

Natural gas too

  • Burning gas in stoves releases NOx at

levels which can harm the lungs of children

  • Burning gas in furnaces, water heaters

releases NOx, VOCs, etc.

  • Pipeline ruptures, fires/explosions
  • “Upstream” harms associated with

fracking: toxic chemicals, radioactive substances

  • Methane leakage: a highly potent driver
  • f climate change
slide-9
SLIDE 9

health effects of climate change Greatest public

health threat of the century?

  • Heat-related
  • Respiratory
  • Allergic
  • Water-borne/

infectious

  • Displacement,

conflict, migration

  • Mental health
slide-10
SLIDE 10

Energy efficiency, an important part of the solution

“Ther ere’s no chea eaper er, clea eaner er power er tha han n power you u don’t ha have to produc uce.”

  • Gary Za

Zarker, Seattle le Cit ity L Lig ight

slide-11
SLIDE 11

Health benefits of energy efficiency: cleaner air, cleaner water

  • Reduced combustion of fossil fuels =>

Cleaner air => reductions in:

  • heart attacks
  • respiratory diseases, incl asthma,

emphysema, chronic bronchitis

  • reduced lung capacity
  • cancer
  • premature birth/low birth weight

(infant death)

  • ischemic stroke
  • Reduced combustion of fossil fuels =>

Cleaner water => reductions in:

  • mercury deposition in food chain/fish,

causes reduced IQ, mental retardation, impairment of neurodevelopment

  • coal ash, containing deadly metals such

as arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, selenium. Can cause various cancers, nervous system damage, death.

  • Toxic chemicals and radioactive

wastewater from fracked gas.

slide-12
SLIDE 12

Healthy efficient alternativeS: electric heat pump

slide-13
SLIDE 13

Healthy efficient alternativeS: induction cooktop

  • Reduces indoor pollution from

stoves

  • Uses magnetic energy, heats
  • nly the pan
  • Fast, precise cooking response
  • No burns
slide-14
SLIDE 14

Healthy efficient alternativeS: Electric vehicles

  • EVs are more efficient than

gasoline vehicles

  • Electricity is less expensive than

gasoline

  • Efficiency is improving, prices

trending down

slide-15
SLIDE 15

PSR educates on energy efficiency & health

slide-16
SLIDE 16

PSR engages health professionals

slide-17
SLIDE 17

PSR advocates for HEALTH-PROTECTIVE practices, local, state, & federal Policy

slide-18
SLIDE 18

Health professionals are trusted messengers

www.psr.org Barbara Gottlieb bgottlieb@psr.org