Massachusetts Environmental Impacts
Fossil fuels have significant impacts on our environment, producing emissions that warm the planet and pollute the air. Here we look at the emissions produced in Massachusetts and their effects on global and local health.
Greenhouse Gas Emission Levels
Energy production as a whole accounts for essentially all the emissions of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide as well as a significant portion of other greenhouse gas emissions. Electricity is responsible for approximately 30% of local emissions. The one area where energy has less significant impacts is in methane production, which comes largely from sources like agriculture.
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Massachusetts Greenhouse Gas Emissions Because of our heavy reliance on fossil fuels for electricity production and other activities, Massachusetts produces significant levels of greenhouse gas emissions. State greenhouse gas emissions total approximately 21.7 million metric tons per year. Reference: Federal EPA |
To learn what Massachusetts is doing to address climate change, you can read the 2004 Massachusetts Climate Protection Plan and learn about other local climate change reduction initiatives.
Air Quality Emission Levels
Energy production is also a major source of air quality problems in New England. These emissions contribute to respiratory problems, heart disease, nervous system problems, and general environmental problems. Emission levels are as follows:
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Massachusetts Air Quality Emissions Massachusetts produces 185,000 tons of polluting emissions each year, with a large proportion of these coming from electricity production. This chart is based on stationary energy production and emissions and does not include transportation impacts.
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Air quality in New England as a whole is of particularly low quality compared to other states and regions, with asthma rates and other ailments occurring at greater rates than in other regions. You can find air quality emission levels and sources anywhere in the United States through the Federal EPA.
These New England emission rates are exacerbated by airborne pollutants from power plants around the nation that settle in New England. Improvement of air quality in Massachusetts and surrounding states therefore depends partly on increased use of clean energy outside of the region. However, developing clean energy within the region will significantly reduce the overall emissions affecting our states.
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