Title: Electricity and the environment

Authors: L.L. Bennett, P. Polina, T. Muller

Addresses: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Wagramerstrasse 5, PO Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. ' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Wagramerstrasse 5, PO Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. ' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Wagramerstrasse 5, PO Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria

Abstract: Energy and electricity services are closely related to the quality of life. Energy and electricity are essential for meeting the basic human needs for food, water, health and shelter. They offer higher levels of prosperity through comfort, mobility and provision of goods and services. However, electricity is a derived good and the conversion of primary energy forms into electricity impacts the environment and requires the mobilization of several important resources such as financing. The issues of increasing electricity demands, environmentally friendly technologies, environmental impacts and risks from electricity chains, and the decision-making dimension in electricity planning were discussed intensively at the Senior Expert Symposium on Electricity and the Environment held in Helsinki in May 1991. This article summarizes the findings of the joint activities of eleven international organizations based on the work of a number of experts and the recommendations as they emerged from the symposium.

Keywords: carbon emissions; CO2; carbon dioxide; electricity demand; electricity generation; generating technologies; environmental impact; generation costs; health effects; decision making; electricity planning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJGEI.1992.063610

International Journal of Global Energy Issues, 1992 Vol.4 No.3, pp.113-124

Published online: 17 Jul 2014 *

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