The Influence of Fossil Fuels on Human Health, Research Paper Example

Abstract

The paper discusses the influence of fossil fuels on human health. Statistical information is provided to support the thesis that fossil fuels produce significantly negative effects on human health. The effects of fossil fuels on the environment are discussed. The paper briefly reviews available alternative energy solutions to the fossil fuel issue.

Team Paper

That fossil fuels produce a multitude of negative effects on human health and environment is a well-known fact. Every year, the United States losses over $120 billion in health care costs, due to the growing number of premature deaths caused by air pollution (Wald, 2009). For oil and coal, the cost of human health damages is almost equal (Wald, 2009). Excess mortality is the result of numerous air pollutants emitted by vehicles and plants into the atmosphere and accounts for the major share of these costs (Wald, 2009). The most dangerous pollutants are those, which contain small soot particles causing lung damage, nitrogen oxides contributing to smog and breathing difficulties; and sulfur dioxide resulting in acid rains (Wald, 2009). As such, the products of the fossil fuels combustion are responsible for the growing number of respiratory diseases which, ultimately, lead to excess deaths and reflect in the growing costs of healthcare.

The environmental effects of fossil fuel combustion are no less dangerous: emissions are being released into the atmosphere, changing the natural balance of ecosystems. Nitrogen, sulfur and carbon are extremely harmful to the environment (ELS, 2008). The products of burning fossil fuels combine with water vapor and create acids rains, which are increasingly damaging to plants and animal species (ELS, 2008). The growing concentration of carbon dioxide in the air is believed to be primarily responsible for the global changes in climate (ELS, 2008). Other environmental risks are associated with extracting, transporting, processing and using fossil fuels for various purposes: coal mining and oil drilling are particularly hazardous to the surrounding landscapes (ELS, 2008). As a result of intensive mining and drilling, salt water is being brought to the surface, damaging nearby ecosystems without proper sequestration (ELS, 2008). As a result, there is an urgent need to develop alternative fuel approaches.

Renewable energy is fairly regarded as the best solution to the existing fossil fuel issues: “renewable energy originates from naturally replenished sources and can persist on the earth indefinitely, including solar, earth, wind, ocean, hydro and biomass energy” (Saliken & Clarke, 2010). Solar energy is actively used by individuals and organizations to meet their energy needs. The Sun is the most abundant energy resource on the planet and could successfully replace conventional fossil fuels. Solar energy can be easily transformed into electrical or heat energy for individual and industrial use. Saliken and Clarke (2010) claim that the total annual amount of solar radiation falling on the planet is 7,500 times higher than the amount of energy people usually consume during one year. As a result, solar energy has a potential to fully replace fossil fuels and become the basic source of energy on the planet.

Earth and wind could turn into reliable sources of energy and power. Geothermal energy is extracted from beneath the earth’s surface and can be transformed to provide electrical and heat energy in abundance (Saliken & Clarke, 2010). Wind energy is, actually, energy of motion which can also be transformed into conventional electricity, to be used by individuals and industrial enterprises (Saliken & Clarke, 2010). There are nearly dozens of windy territories on the planet, including the coastal regions of Europe, Asia, and Americas; mountainous regions are windy, too (Saliken & Clarke, 2010). By utilizing only 1 percent of these territories, global population could easily produce the amount of energy equal to that produced by all electricity-generating plants of the world (Saliken & Clarke, 2010). Unfortunately, it is not easy to step away from conventional fossil fuel and switch over to the more ecological sources of energy. Significant investments are needed, to develop systems that will transform energy from renewable energy sources into electricity. Moreover, a major shift in environmental mentality is needed, to guarantee that individuals and organizations realize the environmental implications of their practices and are willing to adopt new “green” technologies.

References

ELC. (2008). Fossil fuels. Environmental Literacy Council. Retrieved August 21, 2010 from http://www.enviroliteracy.org/subcategory.php/21.html

Saliken, A. & Clarke, M.G. (2010). Cocktail party guide to global warming: Everything you need to know to converse intelligently about global warming in any situation. Heritage House Publishing.

Wald, M. (2009). Fossil fuels’ hidden cost is in billions, study says. The New York Times. Retrieved August 21, 2010 from http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/science/earth/20fossil.html