What Cities Need To Know About Green Power

Green energy comes from environmentally preferable, renewable resources like the sun and wind. Western City Magazine explains why cities should care.

1 minute read

August 5, 2000, 11:30 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


With so many environmental issues competing for the attention of local officials, why does electricity really matter? According to the Environmental Defense Fund, electricity production is a leading cause of air pollution in the United States. Every year, fossil fuel power plants emit almost two billion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the Earth’s atmosphere. CO2 is responsible for at least half of the gases that cause global climate change. Traditional power plants also produce two-thirds of the pollutants that unleash acid rain; half of the country’s nuclear waste; and 30 percent of the particulate air pollutants that, among other things, are a chief cause of childhood asthma.

Thanks to Chris Steins

Saturday, July 15, 2000 in Western City

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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