What’s Power Worth?

What's Power Worth?

When we think about air pollution and its sources we generally call to mind the things we see and smell daily. We recall the stench of diesel fumes, the plumes of automobile exhaust, or maybe the belching smoke from factories. Instead of these common culprits, maybe we should instead think about the light switch, the computer, the television, or maybe our air conditioners. We use these items everyday without a thought to the possible ramifications. These familiar household items contribute more to air pollution in our community than all of the aforementioned polluters combined. Their use requires electricity and that electricity is provided by power plants.

Electricity producing power plants are the largest source of air pollution nationwide (Izaak). More than half of the nation's power plants produce their electricity by burning coal. These coal-fired plants in particular are responsible for the majority of the most dangerous pollutants emitted by the electric power industry. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), coal-fired plants generate, "96