Did you know that New England is sometimes referred to as the “Tailpipe of the Nation?” That’s because, although our region’s last coal-fired power plant shuttered years ago and we have ample trees, we are a downwind destination for airborne pollutants from other states. Now our region’s air is at risk of getting even dirtier because utilities and regulators in other regions have extended the lives of polluting fossil-fuel fired power plants. More than 30 around the country have had their retirement dates pushed back.
Burning fossil fuels — in our cars, power plants and buildings — is the primary human-caused contributor to air pollution in the United States.
A recent report from the American Lung Association estimates that 12,000 children with asthma live in Hampshire and Hampden counties. When air quality goes down, these kids are among the first to experience breathing difficulty and increased risk of asthma attacks.
When we burn fossil fuels, the smoke contains pollutants such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX). These pollutants contribute to the formation of fine particle pollution (PM2.5) and NOX contributes to ground-level ozone, both of which threaten human health.
Fine particle pollution aggravates asthma, decreases lung function, and increases respiratory symptoms such as coughing or difficulty breathing. Meanwhile, ground-level ozone aggravates lung diseases including asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. These pollutants are especially harmful to people with pre-existing respiratory conditions, kids and older adults.
In addition to NOX and SO2, coal-fired power plants also emit mercury, which can be extremely harmful to humans and marine wildlife. After fish and other aquatic creatures consume this toxin it accumulates as it moves up the food chain, until it is eaten by humans. The children of mothers who ingest mercury during pregnancy can experience damage to their cognitive skills and memory as they grow.
All this underscores how our energy choices have a real and profound impact on our health and the health of our children. That’s why it was welcome news when, for roughly a decade, America’s electricity system was rapidly shedding polluting coal-fired power plants and adding solar and wind power, accelerating the nation’s transition to a cleaner, less polluting power sector.
In 2022, America was retiring power plants at a pace that would lead to a coal-free electric system by 2040. Unfortunately, that pattern has recently changed. While America is continuing to add solar rapidly, our transition away from coal-fired power has slowed dramatically. In fact, the current pace of plant retirements would keep some of America’s dirtiest power plants online until 2065.
America’s transition to clean energy is at risk. What’s to be done?
First, we need to be clear that all is not lost. The future is still unwritten. America has a choice, we can either double-down on the technologies of the past and imperil our efforts to clean our air and reduce our impact on the climate, or pursue a different path.
Our progress to date should give us confidence. There’s more evidence than ever that a future powered by clean renewable energy is possible. According to the National Laboratory of the Rockies, every state in America has the potential to meet all its energy needs from wind and solar, even under a scenario where electricity demand grows quickly for electric vehicles, heat pumps and other activities formerly powered directly by fossil fuels. And, over the past 20 years, every corner of America has experienced renewable energy growth. Today 32 states get 10% or more of the electricity they use from clean renewable sources and our nation got more than 21% of its electricity from renewables.
Second, we should remember that the progress we’ve seen is no accident. It’s a result of public policies, including standards and incentives, that have created the space for renewables to grow.
Third, we need to engage in campaigns that support energy efficiency and renewable energy growth rather than stifle it. It’s screwed up that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently scrapped its longstanding practice of calculating the economic benefits related to human health when it sets air pollution limits. It’s also a setback that Congress rolled back incentives for renewable energy last year. But this is nothing new. For decades, political forces and vested interests have stood in the way of a cleaner, greener energy future. Now that clean energy has seen some success, those forces are fighting back with a vengeance. Our role is to keep working for the future we envision.
We can urge decision-makers at all levels of government and in corporate boardrooms to choose clean energy over the polluting energy sources of the past. You can start right now by urging Google to keep its clean energy pledge and commit to powering any new data centers it builds with renewable energy.
Let’s work together so that someday soon our kids can breathe easier and the phrase “tailpipe of America” is something they only learn about in history lessons.
Johanna Neumann of Amherst has spent the past two decades working to protect our air, water and open spaces, defend consumers in the marketplace and advance a more sustainable economy and democratic society. She can be reached at columnists@gazettenet.com.