REPP Issue Brief No. 6, February 1997

Dying Needlessly: Sickness and Death Due to Energy-Related Air Pollution

Curtis A. Moore

Clean, renewable sources of energy can alleviate the air pollution that afflicts millions of Americans, and even greater numbers of people in the developing world. Author Curtis Moore describes six major air pollutants regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), many of which result from the combustion of fossil fuels. He then summarizes emerging medical evidence indicating that currently legal levels of pollution cause sickness and even death. Finally, Mr. Moore discusses EPA's recent proposals for more rigorous air quality standards, and the potential of renewable energy technologies to help meet these standards.

REPP Home