Preface
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viii
We realized that there is a need to help people understand, with this new
book, all the ways that the two topics of reducing greenhouse gas emissions
and improving air quality are related. Indeed, they can interact and feed
off of each other much like electric vehicles and solar power charging can
interact to provide multiplicative benefits.
Since air quality, electricity, and transportation impact everyone, this book
addresses important topics that people need to understand. At this time, in
2019, there has been great progress in the transition to electricity from renewable sources and the electrification of transportation. The prices associated
with solar PV, wind energy, batteries, and electric vehicles are much better
than in past years, and they are improving.
Additionally, it is important for everyone to realize that the world’s atmosphere is a common resource. All people consume air and depend on good air
quality for their health. Air pollution is associated with more than $4 trillion
in social costs each year, including many people who die prematurely. We
now have good options to improve air quality. We can add solar panels to
our home and generate some of the electricity that we use. We can add insulation and reduce energy use for heating and cooling.
We all have many choices with regard to taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. It is possible to do one or two
small things each day to improve air quality and reduce emissions, such as
walking to work or going by bicycle. It is also possible to do larger things to
improve air quality and reduce emissions, such as shifting to electric transportation, generating renewable power, and enacting government policy
changes. You can read this book and apply some of the ideas in your daily life.
References
Erickson, L.E. (2017). Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air
quality: Two global challenges. Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy
36: 982– 988.
Erickson, L.E. and Jennings, M. (2017). Energy, transportation, air quality, climate
change, health nexus: Sustainable energy is good for our health. AIMS Public
Health 4: 47– 61.
Erickson, L.S., Robinson, J., Brase, G., and Cutsor, J. (2017a). Solar Powered Charging
Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles: A Sustainable Development. CRC Press, Boca
Raton, Florida.
Erickson, L.E., Griswold, W., Maghirang, R.G., and Urbaszewski, B.P. (2017b). Air
quality, health, and community action. Journal of Environmental Protection
8: 1057– 1074.
viii
viii
We realized that there is a need to help people understand, with this new
book, all the ways that the two topics of reducing greenhouse gas emissions
and improving air quality are related. Indeed, they can interact and feed
off of each other much like electric vehicles and solar power charging can
interact to provide multiplicative benefits.
Since air quality, electricity, and transportation impact everyone, this book
addresses important topics that people need to understand. At this time, in
2019, there has been great progress in the transition to electricity from renewable sources and the electrification of transportation. The prices associated
with solar PV, wind energy, batteries, and electric vehicles are much better
than in past years, and they are improving.
Additionally, it is important for everyone to realize that the world’s atmosphere is a common resource. All people consume air and depend on good air
quality for their health. Air pollution is associated with more than $4 trillion
in social costs each year, including many people who die prematurely. We
now have good options to improve air quality. We can add solar panels to
our home and generate some of the electricity that we use. We can add insulation and reduce energy use for heating and cooling.
We all have many choices with regard to taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality. It is possible to do one or two
small things each day to improve air quality and reduce emissions, such as
walking to work or going by bicycle. It is also possible to do larger things to
improve air quality and reduce emissions, such as shifting to electric transportation, generating renewable power, and enacting government policy
changes. You can read this book and apply some of the ideas in your daily life.
References
Erickson, L.E. (2017). Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air
quality: Two global challenges. Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy
36: 982– 988.
Erickson, L.E. and Jennings, M. (2017). Energy, transportation, air quality, climate
change, health nexus: Sustainable energy is good for our health. AIMS Public
Health 4: 47– 61.
Erickson, L.S., Robinson, J., Brase, G., and Cutsor, J. (2017a). Solar Powered Charging
Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles: A Sustainable Development. CRC Press, Boca
Raton, Florida.
Erickson, L.E., Griswold, W., Maghirang, R.G., and Urbaszewski, B.P. (2017b). Air
quality, health, and community action. Journal of Environmental Protection
8: 1057– 1074.