206
the modern lifestyle influences energy use by encouraging sedentary living (Hill
et al. 2003).
In the near future, energy supply may not reduce at a global level but prices
would probably increase and changes in markets over time may result due to international tensions besides temporary imbalances of demand and supply. Fossil fuels
could continue to be used far beyond because unconventional forms of gas as well
as oil will become more economically feasible due to technological viability
(Rogner 2000; Jaccard 2005).
As per Cassidy (2000), renewable energy is theoretically attractive but at unacceptable costs at the time of publication. As per the publication, less than 2% of the
USA’s land area can provide all the nation’s primary energy supplies from solar
sources without contributing substantially to climate change or air pollution.
However, the situation is improving with the cost of solar energy production
decreasing over the period of time.
Nuclear power contributes to the lowest levels of GHG emissions per unit power
generation besides having low direct health effects. However, there are fears regarding nuclear weapons accidents and storage of waste. The production of electricity
has both health benefits and costs. The health benefits of use of fuel to electricity
generation are evident. Health impacts from efficient lighting and electric appliance
are much smaller compared to indoor air pollution from combustion of fuels in
homes. The benefits of investment on clean energy cannot be judged only on costeffectiveness comparisons (Markandya and Wilkinson 2007).
References
Cassidy E (2000) Prospects for sustainable energy. A critical assessment. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge
Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) and UN Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction (UNISDR) (2018) Economic losses, poverty and disasters 1998–2017, Brussels
Chandrappa R, Kulshrestha UC (2016) Sustainable air pollution management, theory and practice.
Springer, Heidelberg, ISBN 978-3-319-21595-2
Fenner F (1971) Infectious disease and social change: part 2. Med J Aust 1:1099–1102
Global Energy Assess (GEA) Writing Team (2012) Global energy assessment: toward a sustainable future, eds. TB Johansson, N Nakicenovic, A Patwardhan, L Gomez-Echeverri. Cambridge
Univ. Press/Laxenburg, Austria, Cambridge, UK/New York: Int. Inst. Appl. Syst. Anal
Healy JD (2003) Excess winter mortality in Europe: a cross country analysis identifying key risk
factors. J Epidemiol Community Health 57:784–789
Herlihy D, Cohn SK Jr (1997) The black death and the transformation of the west. Harvard
University Press, Cambridge, MA
Hill JO, Wyatt HR, Reed GW, Peters JC (2003) Obesity and the environment: where do we go from
here? Science 299:853–855
Institute of Medicine (1991) The computer-based patient record: an essential technology for health
care, eds. R.S.Dick and E.B.Steen. National Academy Press, Washington, DC
9 Building and Changing Infrastructure
the modern lifestyle influences energy use by encouraging sedentary living (Hill
et al. 2003).
In the near future, energy supply may not reduce at a global level but prices
would probably increase and changes in markets over time may result due to international tensions besides temporary imbalances of demand and supply. Fossil fuels
could continue to be used far beyond because unconventional forms of gas as well
as oil will become more economically feasible due to technological viability
(Rogner 2000; Jaccard 2005).
As per Cassidy (2000), renewable energy is theoretically attractive but at unacceptable costs at the time of publication. As per the publication, less than 2% of the
USA’s land area can provide all the nation’s primary energy supplies from solar
sources without contributing substantially to climate change or air pollution.
However, the situation is improving with the cost of solar energy production
decreasing over the period of time.
Nuclear power contributes to the lowest levels of GHG emissions per unit power
generation besides having low direct health effects. However, there are fears regarding nuclear weapons accidents and storage of waste. The production of electricity
has both health benefits and costs. The health benefits of use of fuel to electricity
generation are evident. Health impacts from efficient lighting and electric appliance
are much smaller compared to indoor air pollution from combustion of fuels in
homes. The benefits of investment on clean energy cannot be judged only on costeffectiveness comparisons (Markandya and Wilkinson 2007).
References
Cassidy E (2000) Prospects for sustainable energy. A critical assessment. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge
Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) and UN Office for Disaster Risk
Reduction (UNISDR) (2018) Economic losses, poverty and disasters 1998–2017, Brussels
Chandrappa R, Kulshrestha UC (2016) Sustainable air pollution management, theory and practice.
Springer, Heidelberg, ISBN 978-3-319-21595-2
Fenner F (1971) Infectious disease and social change: part 2. Med J Aust 1:1099–1102
Global Energy Assess (GEA) Writing Team (2012) Global energy assessment: toward a sustainable future, eds. TB Johansson, N Nakicenovic, A Patwardhan, L Gomez-Echeverri. Cambridge
Univ. Press/Laxenburg, Austria, Cambridge, UK/New York: Int. Inst. Appl. Syst. Anal
Healy JD (2003) Excess winter mortality in Europe: a cross country analysis identifying key risk
factors. J Epidemiol Community Health 57:784–789
Herlihy D, Cohn SK Jr (1997) The black death and the transformation of the west. Harvard
University Press, Cambridge, MA
Hill JO, Wyatt HR, Reed GW, Peters JC (2003) Obesity and the environment: where do we go from
here? Science 299:853–855
Institute of Medicine (1991) The computer-based patient record: an essential technology for health
care, eds. R.S.Dick and E.B.Steen. National Academy Press, Washington, DC
9 Building and Changing Infrastructure