Page 35 - Alternative Energy Systems in Building Design

12 GLOBAL WARMING: CLIMATIC AND ATMOSPHERIC CHANGES

Increased ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which results from depletion of the stratos-
pheric ozone layer, has had numerous adverse effects on human health, including an
increased risk of various forms of skin cancer, a weakening of the human immune system,
and an increased risk for eye disorders such as cataracts.

CLIMATE PROTECTION POLICIES THAT COULD ENHANCE
HUMAN HEALTH
Policies and measures that enforce the reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases are
the only viable solutions to ameliorate human health problems. Measures that could
improve air quality significantly include the extensive use of green energy and enhanced
energy-efficiency movements that promote the use of noncarbon fuels. It is estimated
that an international adoption of increased carbon emission control policies worldwide
would reduce deaths from air pollution by about 8 million between 2000 and 2020.

AIR POLLUTION AND STRATOSPHERIC OZONE DEPLETION
MITIGATION MEASURES

It is a well-established fact that human, industrial, and agricultural activity in the last
century has been a significant factor in contributing to atmospheric pollution. Another
family of human-made chemical compounds, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which also
are considered to be one of the leading causes of stratospheric ozone depletion and
which result in the production of greenhouse gases, has been banned recently. This
measure will help in climate protection as well as in preserving the stratospheric ozone
layer.
It should be noted that the deployment of smoke stack scrubbers, used for reducing
air pollution on coal-fired power plants, has resulted in more energy consumption and
an increase in greenhouse emissions. Therefore, their use must be banned.

Industrial Sources of

Atmospheric Pollution

CEMENT MANUFACTURE
Ever since the Roman discovery of concrete and the subsequent patenting of the
cement manufacturing processes in the eighteenth century, concrete has become one
of the most used building materials. Cement manufacturing, which involves the exces-
sive burning of coal, is the third largest source of human-made CO emissions. While
2
fossil fuel combustion and deforestation each produce significantly more CO , cement
2
making is responsible for approximately 2.5 percent of total worldwide emissions
from industrial sources.