3/2001: From National Environmental Trust:  Death, Disease & Dirty Power

Mortality and Health Damage Due to Air Pollution from Power Plants Children, the Elderly, and People with Respiratory Disease Face the Greatest Risk

Executive Summary

The Clean Air Task Force, on behalf of the Clear the Air campaign, commissioned Abt Associates to quantify the health impacts of fine particle air pollution, commonly known as soot, from power plants, as well as the expected benefits (avoidable deaths, hospitalizations, etc.) of policies that would reduce fine particle pollution from power plants. The health effects analyzed include death, hospitalizations, emergency room visits, asthma attacks, and a variety of lesser respiratory symptoms.

You can read more at  http://environet.policy.net/cleanair/health/mortality/mortalitystudy.vtml

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LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) - Hydroelectric power plants are not as   environmentally friendly as they appear and release more greenhouse gases   into the atmosphere than coal-fired power stations, New Scientist magazine said on Wednesday.This is because the reservoirs that power the dams can trap rotting vegetation, which emits large amounts of greenhouse gases. It says the decay of forests submerged when reservoirs are flooded produces  only a fraction of the two gases involved, carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane. Much more is produced by organic matter washed into the reservoir from further upstream, a process which may continue for the lifetime of the reservoir.

You can read more at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_771000/771465.stm