environmental effects of economic activities

7/30/2019 Environmental Effects of Economic Activities

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ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC

ACTIVITIES

All economic activities affect the environment in some way whether it is doneintentionally or unintentionally. These could be positive or negative effects. Most of the

time, they are negative. Most activities usually end up harming ecosystems or just

polluting the environment. Economic activities can range from mining all the way to

farming. This project will discuss different types of economic activities and how theyeffect the environment.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF AGRICULTURE

Agriculture and the environment are intimately linked and much debate has taken

place in recent years about thesustainability of some farming practices. Farming

efficiencies, technological innovations and organic farmingare all used to reduce the

environmental impact of farming.There are numerous environmental issues with the various practices ofagriculture.

Water pollution in a rural stream due to run-off from farming activity; in New Zealand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_(biophysical)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainabilityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainabilityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_farminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_farminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issuehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environment_(biophysical)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainabilityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_farminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issuehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture


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Climate change

Climate change and agriculture are interrelated processes, both of which takeplace on a global scale.Global warming is projected to have significant impacts on

conditions affecting agriculture, including temperature,precipitation and glacial run-off.

These conditions determine the carrying capacityof thebiosphere to produce enoughfood for the human population and domesticated animals. Rising carbon dioxide levels

would also have effects, both detrimental and beneficial, on crop yields. The overall

effect of climate change on agriculture will depend on the balance of these effects.Assessment of the effects of global climate changes on agriculture might help to properly

anticipate and adapt farming to maximizeagricultural production.At the same time,

agriculture has been shown to produce significant effects on climate change, primarily

through the production and release ofgreenhouse gasessuch as carbon dioxide, methane,

andnitrous oxide, but also by altering the Earth's land cover, which can change its abilityto absorb or reflect heat and light, thus contributing to radiative forcing. Land use change

such as deforestation and desertification, together with use offossil fuels, are the majoranthropogenic sources of carbon dioxide; agriculture itself is the major contributor to

increasing methane and nitrous oxide concentrations in earth'satmosphere.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_changehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precipitation_(meteorology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrying_capacityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrying_capacityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biospherehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_populationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gaseshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gaseshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gaseshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_coverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiative_forcinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_usehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertificationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropogenichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospherehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospherehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_changehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperaturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precipitation_(meteorology)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrying_capacityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biospherehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foodhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_populationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculturehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gaseshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrous_oxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_coverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiative_forcinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_usehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deforestationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertificationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropogenichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere


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Deforestation

One of the causes of deforestation is to clear land for pasture or crops. Accordingto British environmentalistNorman Myers, 5% of deforestation is due to cattle ranching,19% due to over-heavy logging, 22% due to the growing sector ofpalm oil plantations,

and 54% due to slash-and-burnfarming.

Intensive farming alters the environment in many ways. Some of thedisadvantages of this method of farming include:

Limits or destroys the natural habitat of most wildlife, and leads to soil erosion

Use offertilizers can alter the biology of rivers and lakes.

Pesticides generally kill useful insects as well as those that destroy crops

Generally not sustainable - often results in desertification or, in a worst casescenario, land that is so poisonous and eroded that nothing else will grow

Use of chemicals on fields creates run-off, excess runs off into rivers and lakescausing pollution

Use of pesticides have numerous negative health effects in workers who apply

them, people that live nearby the area of application or downstream/downwind

from it, and consumers who eat the pesticides which remain on their food.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Myershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle_ranchinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logginghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logginghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slash-and-burnhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slash-and-burnhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intensive_farminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainablehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertificationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Myershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle_ranchinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logginghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_oilhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slash-and-burnhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intensive_farminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fertilizerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainablehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertification


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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF OIL SHALE INDUSTRY

Kivili Oil Shale Processing & Chemicals Plant in ida-Virumaa, Estonia

Environmental impact of the oil shale industry includes the consideration of

issues such as land use,waste management, and waterand air pollutioncaused by the

extraction and processing ofoil shale. Surface mining ofoil shale depositscauses theusual environmental impacts ofopen-pit mining. In addition, the combustion and thermal

processinggenerate waste material, which must be disposed of, and harmful atmospheric

emissions, including carbon dioxide, a majorgreenhouse gas. Experimental in-situ

conversion processes and carbon capture and storage technologies may reduce some ofthese concerns in future, but may raise others, such as the pollution of groundwater.

Air pollution

Main air pollution is caused by theoil shale-fired power plants, which provide the

atmospheric emissions of gaseous products like nitrogen oxides,sulfur dioxide andhydrogen chloride, and the airborne particulate matter (fly ash). It includes particles of

different types (carbonaceous, inorganic ones) and different sizes. The concentration of

air pollutants in flue gas depends primarily on the combustion technology and burningregime, while the emissions of solid particles are determined by the efficiency of fly ash-

capturing devices.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_usehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_usehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_managementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_pollutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shale_industryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_mininghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shale_reserveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shale_reserveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shale_reserveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-pit_mininghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combustionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shale_oil_extractionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shale_oil_extractionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shale_oil_extractionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_capture_and_storagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel_power_planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel_power_planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel_power_planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_oxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_chloridehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_ashhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Kivioli_chemical_plant.JPGhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_usehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_managementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_pollutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shale_industryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shalehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surface_mininghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_shale_reserveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-pit_mininghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combustionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shale_oil_extractionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shale_oil_extractionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_capture_and_storagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fossil_fuel_power_planthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_oxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_chloridehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_ash


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Greenhouse gas emissions

Carbon dioxide emissions from the production of shale oil and shale gas are

higher than conventional oil production. Emissions arise from several sources. Theseinclude CO2 released by the decomposition of the kerogen and carbonate minerals in the

extraction processwhich also releases some methanethe generation of the energy

needed to heat the shale and in the other oil and gas processing operations, and themining of the rock and the disposal of waste. As the varying mineral composition and

calorific value of oil shale deposits varies widely, the actual values vary considerably. At

best, the direct combustion of oil shales produces carbon emissions similar to those fromthe lowest form of coal, lignite, at 2.15molesCO2/MJ, an energy source which is also

politically contentious due to its high emission levels.

In-situ processing

Currently, the in-situprocess is the most attractive proposition due to the reduction in

standard surface environmental problems. However, in-situ processes do involve possiblesignificant environmental costs to aquifers, especially since in-situ methods may require

ice-capping or some other form of barrier to restrict the flow of the newly gained oil into

the groundwater aquifers. However, after the removal of the freeze wall these methodscan still cause groundwater contamination as the hydraulic conductivity of the remaining

shale increases allowing groundwater to flow through and leach salts from the newly

toxic aquifer.

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF COAL

Effects of mining

Release ofcarbon dioxide and methane, both of which are greenhouse gasescausing climate change and global warming . Coal is the largest contributor to the

human-made increase of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Waste products includinguranium,thorium, and otherradioactive and heavymetal contaminants

Acid rain

Acid mine drainage (AMD)

Interference with groundwaterand water tablelevels

Impact of water use on flows of rivers and consequential impact on other land-

uses
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerogenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonate_mineralshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heating_valuehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(unit)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(unit)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(unit)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joulehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-situhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-situhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquiferhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_changehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropogenichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_atmospherehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uraniumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uraniumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoriumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoriumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_contaminationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_contaminationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_rainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_mine_drainagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwaterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_tablehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_tablehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerogenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonate_mineralshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heating_valuehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignitehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(unit)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joulehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-situhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquiferhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxidehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methanehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_changehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warminghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthropogenichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_atmospherehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uraniumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoriumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radioactive_contaminationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_metalshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_rainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_mine_drainagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundwaterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_table


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Coal mining causes a number of harmful effects.

Effects on water

Flood events can cause severe damage to improperly constructed or located coalhaul roads, housing, coal crushing and washing plant facilities, waste and coal storage

piles, settling basin dams, surface water diversion structures, and the mine itself. Besides

the danger to life and property, large amounts of sediment and poor quality water mayhave detrimental effects many miles downstream from a mine site after a flood. Overall,

it will cause a lot of poulltion in our drinking water.

Ground water supplies may be adversely affected by surface mining. These

impacts include drainage of usable water from shallow aquifers; lowering of water levelsin adjacent areas and changes in flow directions within aquifers; contamination of usable

aquifers below mining operations due to infiltration or percolation of poor quality minewater; and increased infiltration of precipitation on spoil piles.

Sulphuric acid is formed when minerals containing sulphide are oxidisedthrough air contact, which could lead to acid rain. Leftover chemicals deposits from

explosives are usually toxic and increase the salt quantity of mine water and even

contaminating it.] Effects on wildlife

Surface mining of coal causes direct and indirect damage to wildlife. Theimpact on wildlife stems primarily from disturbing, removing, and redistributing the land

surface. Some impacts are short-term and confined to the mine site; others may have far

reaching, long term effects. The most direct effect on wildlife is destruction ordisplacement of species in areas of excavation and spoil piling. Mobile wildlife species

like game animals, birds, and predators leave these areas. More sedentary animals like

invertebrates, many reptiles, burrowing rodents and small mammals may be directly

destroyed.

If streams, lakes, ponds or marshes are filled or drained, fish, aquatic

invertebrates, and amphibians are destroyed. Food supplies for predators are reduced by

destruction of these land and water species. Animal populations displaced or destroyedcan eventually be replaced from populations in surrounding ranges, provided the habitat

is eventually restored. An exception could be extinction of a resident endangered species.

Broad and long lasting impacts on wildlife are caused by habitat impairment.

The habitat requirements of many animal species do not permit them to adjust to changescreated by land disturbance. These changes reduce living space. . Some species tolerate

very little disturbance. In instances where a particularly critical habitat is restricted, such

as a lake, pond, or primary breeding area, a species could be eliminated. The wide rangeof damage that could be done is severe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_mininghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coal_mining


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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF NUCLEAR POWER

Nuclear power activities involving the environment; mining, enrichment, generation andgeological disposal.

Nuclear powerhas an effect on the environment through the nuclear fuel cycle,

through operation, and from the lingering effects of the Chernobyl disaster.

Environmental effects

Environmental damage was widespread immediately following the accident,

stretching from fauna and vegetation to riversand lakes and all the way down to thegroundwater. The extent of the damage led scientists and government officials to the

conclusion that the Chernobyl exclusion zone had been subjected to enough radioactive

fallout to severely alter the ecological balance of the region for decades. This initialassessment could not be farther from the truth as wildlife abounds in even the most

affected areas of Chernobyl no more than 20 years after the disaster.

The Red Forest

The Red Forest
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The second major plume of radiation released by the Chernobyl nuclear accident

was carried directly over what is now called the Red Forest. Radioactive particles settledon trees, killing approximately 400hectares of pine forest. The Red Forest is now one of

the most contaminated terrestrial habitats on earth. The highly radioactive plume killedmost of the Scotch Pines in the area, but Birch and Aspen are more radio-resistant. Now

the pine trees are being replaced as the Red Forest recovers.

Groundwaters

The integrity of the groundwateris another area of concern following the accident.

Initial contamination of the groundwater may have been introduced by method of

disposal used for the Red Forest. Much of the Red Forest was bulldozed and buried intrenches. The trenches were then covered to form long bermes. As the trees decay

radiation leaches into the groundwater. Additional contamination viapercolation of

radioactive material through thesoil is not expected due to many of the radionuclidesbeing short-lived, while the longer-lived radiocesium and radiostrontium were adsorbed

to surface soils before they could transfer to groundwaters.

Fauna and vegetation

The fallout from the explosion had obvious adverse effects on life in the exclusionzone and the four-kilometerred forest, but the current ecological stability seen in those

same regions that experienced deadly doses of radioactivity in 1986 is an unexpected

result. In the 20 years since the accident, the sum effect for the flora and fauna in the

highly radioactive, restricted zone has been overwhelmingly positive in favor of

biodiversity and abundance of individuals. For example, researchers have experiencednumerous sightings of moose (Alces alces), roe deer (Capreol capreolus), Russian wild

boar (Sus scrofa), foxes (Vulpes vulpes), river otter (Lutra canadensis), and rabbits(Lepus europaeus) within the 10-km exclusion zone; however, none of these taxa were

observed outside the 30 km zone.
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Forest_biomehttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Terrestrial_biomehttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Groundwaterhttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Soilhttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Soilhttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Meterhttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Dosehttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Biodiversityhttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Forest_biomehttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Terrestrial_biomehttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Groundwaterhttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Soilhttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Meterhttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Dosehttp://www.eoearth.org/article/Biodiversity


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ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF MEAT

PRODUCTION

The environmental effects of meat production include pollution and the use

of resources such as fossil fuels, water, and land. This article discusses the environmental

effects of livestock and poultry farming.

According to a 2006 report by the Livestock, Environment And DevelopmentInitiative, the livestock industry is one of the largest contributors to environmental

degradation worldwide, and modern practices of raising animals for food contributes on a

"massive scale" to air and waterpollution, land degradation, climate change, and loss ofbiodiversity. The initiative concluded that "the livestock sector emerges as one of the top

two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at

every scale from local to global. In 2006 FAO estimated that meat industry contributes18% of all emissions of greenhouse gasses. This figure was challenged in 2009 by two

World-Watch researchers who estimated a 51% minimum, however this paper has not

been peer reviewed.

Animals fed on grain need more water than grain crops. In tracking food animalproduction from the feed through to the dinner table, the inefficiencies of meat,milkand

egg production range from a 4:1 energy input to protein output ratio up to 54:1. The

result is that producing animal-based food is typically much less efficient than theharvesting of grains, vegetables, legumes, seeds and fruits for direct human consumption.

Relatedly, the production and consumption of meat and other animal products isassociated with the clearing of rainforests, resource depletion, air and water pollution,

land and economic inefficiency, species extinction, and other environmental harms.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_degradationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_degradationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_changehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_(food)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legumehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_extinctionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_degradationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_degradationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_changehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiversityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_(food)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legumehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_extinction


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ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF WIND POWER

A wind turbine at Greenpark, Reading, England, producing electricity for around one

thousand homes

A European Commission report has found wind to have the lowest external costs,

comprising human health impacts, building and crop damage, global warming, loss ofamenities and ecological impact, when compared to coal, oil, gas, biomass, nuclear,hydro and photovoltaic electricity generation.

Energy derived from wind powerconsumes no fuel, and emits no air pollution. A

study by Lenzen and Munksgaard of the University of Sydney and the Danish Institute

for Local Governmental Studies finds that the energy consumed in manufacturing andtransporting the materials used to build a wind power plant is paid back within months.

There are reports of bird and bat mortality at wind turbines, as there are around

other artificial structures. The scale of the ecological impact may or may notbe

significant, depending on the particular site. Prevention and mitigation of wildlifefatalities, and protection ofpeat bogs, affect the siting and operation of wind turbines.

There are conflicting reports as to any health effects on people of sound or

infrasound from wind turbines.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_powerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peat_bogshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrasoundhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Greenpark_wind_turbine_arp.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_powerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollutionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peat_bogshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrasound


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environmental effects of economic activities

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