April 05, 2004

By: Nashika O’Neill
Website: http://www.1st-in-wellness.com

Environmental and Public Health Groups Target Prevention

Today environmental and public health experts presented long-term pollution reduction and clean energy solutions to Chicagoland’s air pollution problem. The coalition is comprised of the Environmental Law & Policy Center, the American Lung Association, the Center for Neighborhood Technology, Illinois Environmental Council, Illinois Public Interest Research Group, Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, the Sierra Club Illinois Chapter and Citizen Action/Illinois.

An Ozone Action Day is declared when data collected from a network of monitors indicate high, unhealthy levels of ozone. To date this year, Chicago has experienced ten ozone action days, compared to seven at this time last year. On Ozone Action Days, the public is asked to avoid filling up gas tanks, mowing lawns and using air conditioners, noted Howard Learner, Executive Director of the Environmental Law & Policy Center. There is a more effective approach. Let’s clean up the air by cleaning up polluting coal plants and trucks. Let’s make Illinois a leader on smart energy efficient policies. It’s time to promote more energy efficient appliances and a new statewide energy efficient building code.

The current Ozone Action Alerts are essential to informing Chicagoans when ozone levels are high and how they can help avoid health risks on a day to day basis, but that does not get to the root of the problem. The group called on policy makers to implement more proactive and preventative measures to decrease air pollution in future years. Specifically, the coalition highlighted the benefits of policies encouraging energy efficient appliances in new buildings and the passage of the proposed statewide energy efficient building code.

If we act now to implement proven policies including energy efficient appliance standards and energy efficient building codes, we can reduce air pollution, protect public health, and save consumers money in the near future, stated Brian Metcalfe, Environmental Advocate for the Illinois Public Interest Research Group.

Air pollution is a serious public health problem in metropolitan Chicago, especially on hot, stagnant days when power plant air pollution can be 50 percent higher because of peak electrical demand, said Ron Burke, Deputy Executive Director with the American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago. Energy efficiency is a vastly underutilized strategy for reducing air pollution from electric power plants.

A study conducted by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, funded by the United States Department of Energy found that using energy efficient building materials and construction techniques on residential buildings in Illinois would result in substantial reductions in household gas and electric consumption. This would greatly reduce the systemic demand for gas and electricity, and the associated pollutants from their production. The results on a statewide level, based on residential buildings alone, were as follows:

· In the first year, Illinois would use 38 million kilowatt hours less electricity and 423 Gbtu less natural gas.

· The reduction in air pollution would be 165 tons of sulfur dioxide, 116 tons nitrogen oxide, and 46,400 tons carbon dioxide. By the year 2020 the cumulative reductions in air pollutants would be: 28,000 tons sulfur dioxide, 20,000 tons nitrogen dioxide, and 7.9 million tons carbon dioxide.

· The estimated aggregate cost savings in Illinois for constructing all new residences to an energy efficient standard would be $458 million by 2010, $2.7 billion by 2020.

According to Anthony Star, Assistant Manager of the Community Energy Cooperative, some Chicagoans have already experienced these savings. The Community Energy Cooperative has helped thousands of its Chicago-area members upgrade their air conditioners to high-efficiency units which save them money, reduce air pollution, and improve the quality of day-to-day life. Star added that, As energy markets deregulate in Illinois, it is vitally important to continue to promote strategies and programs which empower consumers to make real changes to their energy use behavior.

About The Author:

Nashika O’Neill is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-wellness.com.  Obtaining and keeping good health through healthy living, natural healing, great mental health and healthy finances.