Energy, Climate Change, and Health

          Energy production and use is both detrimental and beneficial to human health.  Although the availability of energy sources may provide electricity for cooking, communication, and industry, the process of producing energy can negatively affect a population through environmental pollution and hazards of the production process (Wilkinson, Smith, Joffe, and Haines, 2007).  Lack of energy security is a growing problem that, in addition to global climate change, will disproportionately affect the health of the poor, because the burden of reduced energy supply and climate change generally falls on those that are already lacking in resources (Wilkinson, et al., 2007).  For example, climate change may affect monsoon rainfall or glacial melt in India, thus changing the availability of water to populations – especially agricultural communities – that depend on it.

Due to India’s large population, the country contributes around 4% to global carbon emissions (Arora, Busche, Cowlin,  Engelmeier, Jaritz, Milbrandt, Wang, 2010).  Considering the vast number of health and environmental effects of climate change to due greenhouse gases, India has declared that it will not allow the country’s per capita greenhouse gas emissions to exceed that of an industrialized country.  Currently India emits around 1 ton of CO₂ per person compared to the 10-20 tons of CO₂ emitted per person in industrialized countries (Arora, et al., 2010).  These efforts are important when considering that the effects of climate change go beyond the immediate concerns of water, land, and air pollution.  Increasing temperatures that result from climate change may stimulate increased numbers of heat waves, which are extremely dangerous in all areas, developed or not, but especially of concern to countries where the ability to adapt to such temperature changes may be extremely restricted due to low income (Wilkinson, et al., 2007).  The world will probably also see an increase in the number of extreme weather events like severe storms, floods, and droughts (Wilkinson, et al, 2007).  Rising sea levels, a result of the melting of glaciers and expansion of the seas, will increase seawater intrusion into coastal freshwater and will result in the displacement of large coastal populations.  Additionally water, food, and vector-borne diseases might undergo changes in disease pattern and frequency (Wilkinson, et al., 2007).  

            Human energy use is almost exclusively focused on the use of fossil fuels as energy sources and there are extensive health risks associated with the extraction, production, and use of these fuels.  Of the total world energy use, about 80% is based on fossil fuels (Wilkinson, et al., 2007).  India accounts for 3.8% of the global consumption of energy, with the country’s focus being on coal and oil energy sources (Arora, et al., 2010).  

World Energy Use in 2001

Worldwide Consumption of Energy Sources by Country

Biomass fuel represents 10% of the world’s energy use and is extensively used as a traditional fuel source in developing countries (Wilkinson, et al., 2007).  Both fossil fuels and biomass contribute to substantial human health risk and the development and use of clean energy sources will be important in reducing both climate change and energy-related health hazards.  The combustion of biomass and fossil fuels results in airborne pollutants, which pose a significant risk at the household, community, regional, and global levels (Wilkinson, et al., 2007).   

Although fossil fuel combustion contributes the most to environmental pollution, the 2.4 million people worldwide who depend on biomass as a household energy source are more likely to suffer from pollution exposure due to biomass fuels (Wilkinson, et al., 2007).  In India, about 40% of the total energy supply consists of fuel such as wood and cow manure, which is mainly used in rural households for cooking and heating water since the availability of electricity in rural areas is low (Arora, et al., 2010).  Because the technology used to burn the fuel is not very advanced, a high concentration of smoke builds up indoors, often resulting in indoor air quality far worse than international standards on air pollution (Wilkinson, et al., 2007).  Chronic exposure to indoor air pollution results in a number of health issues including respiratory infections, lung and other cancers, tuberculosis, low birth weight babies, and potentially asthma and heart disease (Wilkinson, et al., 2007).  In southeast Asia, thirty-seven percent of the burden of disease can be attributed to indoor air pollution, especially among impoverished populations that cannot afford clean fuels and proper ventilation (Wilkinson, et al., 2007)

            India has begun using biogas to provide energy to small rural areas that are not connected to the grid and thus do not receive electricity.  Biogas is a product of the digestion of organic material like animal waste, crop residues, and industrial and domestic waste, a process which releases methane, a combustible gas (Arora, et al., 2010).  About four million family-size biogas-generating plants have been installed around the country and are used to provide energy for cooking and lighting in rural areas (Arora, et al., 2010).  Larger production plants can be installed to serve entire villages.  The majority of the biogas is generated from cattle manure, and given that India has 28% of the world’s cattle population, this alternative to biomass burning may be a highly useful and productive source of energy in rural areas (Arora, et al., 2010).

            There is no doubt that the development and distribution of energy sources that began during the industrial revolution has vastly improved the health of the world’s people.  However both the lack of clean energy and the climate change resulting from burning of fossil fuels can be detrimental to human health.  It is important that countries seek alternative fuel sources and improve existing energy technologies in order to ensure the health of their populations both today and for the future.

 References:

Wilkinson, P., Smith, K.R., Joffe, M., Haines, A.  (2007). A Global Perspective on Energy: Health Effects and Injustices. The Lancet 370(9591), 5-18.

Arora, D.S., Busche, S., Cowlin, S., Engelmeier, T., Jaritz, H., Milbrandt, A., Wang, S. (2010). Indian Renewable Energy Status Report.