Table 19.1 - Overview of significant and potential environmental impacts from energy sources
Sources: EEA-TF and ERM; WHO, 1992
Environmental media | Air | Water | Soil/Land | Nature and wildlife / Landscapes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Energy source | ||||
Fossil fuels | combustion --> increasing levels of greenhouse gases --> climatic effects | electricity generation --> thermal releases from cooling raising water temperature | mining activities, plants, pipelines --> physical intrusions --> pressure on land resources | procuring fossil fuels --> disturbance of natural habitats, exploitation of wilderness or natural areas for surface mining |
combustion --> emission of particulates and dust, SO2, H2S, NOx, CO, CO2, CH4, small amounts of heavy metals and radionuclides (coal) --> poor air quality, acid rain, and global warming | mining activities --> pressure on available water resources | deposition of acidifying compounds --> increasing soil acidity | deposition of acidifying compounds --> acidification --> impacts on flora and fauna | |
storage and transportation of gas --> leaks, explosions and fires | coal mining --> liquid mine waste (containing acids and salts) --> water pollution | solid wastes and ash disposal (spoil tips) from coal mines --> contamination of water percolating through slag heaps --> groundwater and soil pollution | accidental oil --> threats to wildlife and coastal zones | |
cooling towers --> microclimatic impacts | coal washing --> water pollution | coal mining activities --> land subsidence | mining, electricity generation, waste disposal and transportation (eg, pipelines, pylons) --> visual impacts on the landscape | |
NOx and SO2 emissions --> deposition --> acidification and eutrophication of waterbodies | cooling towers and transmission cables --> visual impacts | |||
stockpiles of coal --> water pollution | ||||
oil spills and leaks --> water pollution | ||||
combustion of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) --> problems of liquid residual disposal | ||||
Nuclear power | nuclear accidents --> potential release of radionuclides | uranium mine operation --> groundwater contamination | nuclear accidents--> risk of soil contamination due to deposition from air | nuclear accidents--> risk of impacts through air, soil and water contamination --> secondary impacts on organisms transmission |
cooling towers --> microclimatic impacts | mine tailing water --> release of toxic metals and radiological wastes | improper storage of radioactive wastes --> potential contamination | cooling towers and transmission cables --> and visual impacts | |
plant operation --> thermal releases from cooling water and emissions of radionuclides | decontamination and decommissioning of nuclear power plants --> potential contamination | |||
accidental releases --> contamination risk of water resources | risk of accidents during transport ofspent fuels --> potential contamination | |||
Hydropower | dams --> micro-climatic effects (from flooding of large areas and physical intrusion) | dams --> impacts on hydrological cycle (re-routing of rivers), water quality and reliability | dams --> land irreversibly flooded (loss of fertile land and forests) | flooding --> habitat changes, fish migration |
inundation of land to create reservoirs --> CH4 --> global warming | dam rupture --> risk of major flooding | dam construction --> landslide risks | dams and associated infrastructure --> visual intrusion and landscape changes | |
dams --> increased erosion and sedimentation | ||||
Other renewables (biomass, geothermal, solar, wind) | biomass combustion --> emissions of CO, VOCs, NOx, particulate matter | biomass conversion --> water pollution | energy plantations (biomass), wind farms, and solar parks --> pressure on landuse | renewable energies --> some habitat and wildlife disturbance (eg tidal barrage schemes) |
geothermal energy --> emissions to air | geothermal energy --> emissions to water | decommissioning of photovoltaics --> toxic pollution | wind farms and solar parks --> visual intrusion |