|
How Much Do Humans Pollute? A Breakdown of Industrial, Vehicular and Household C02 Emissions
Coles, T.J.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2019/06/14/how-much-do-humans-pollute-a-breakdown-of-industrial-vehicular-and-household-c02-emissions/Date Written: 2019-06-14 Publisher: Counterpunch Year Published: 2019 Resource Type: Article Cx Number: CX23663 Modified excerpt from author's new book, Privatized Planet: "Free Trade" as a Weapon Against Democracy, Healthcare and the Environment. Abstract: -- Excerpt: CO2accounts for approximate 76 percent of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The US Environmental Protection Agency says that combustion (of coal, gas and oil) is the main human activity that releases CO2. Electrical production, which uses coal combustion for its generation, accounts for 32.9% of US CO2 emissions. Transport accounts for 34.2%, which is where oil comes in, as most transport (cars, trucks, planes and ships) relies on petroleum. Industry is responsible for 15.4% of emissions and residential/commercial for 10%.... The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) estimates that air pollution kills 200,000 Americans every year. MIT’s Laboratory of Aviation and the Environment tracked emissions at ground-level, from industrial smokestacks, vehicles, railways and residential heating. Road vehicle emissions alone kill 53,000 and power generators kill 52,000. California has the worst air quality, with 21,000 persons dying prematurely each year.... According to the World Health Organization, 7 million people die each year as a result of exposure to air pollution. This equates to one in eight global deaths. Air pollution is the single biggest environmental health risk and more than doubles previous estimates. Indoor and outdoor pollution are linked to cancer, ischaemic (artery) heart disease and strokes. |