Impact of energy technologies on public health

Abstract

This paper discusses the issue of public health. Public health depends crucially on environmental conditions such as drinking water quality, air and food pollution level as well as on radiation environment, radiation doses received with air, water, food, and ionizing radiation. The paper shows that among various ways of energy harnessing, the use of natural gas and nuclear are the most effective and have minimal impact on public health, especially when compared with coal-fired energy. The paper hypothesises that coal energy is the main danger to public health as well as states that nuclear is the most environmentally effective type of energy and id associated with minimal adverse effect on public health. The paper argues that risk related fears are largely exaggerated and employs a risk-oriented approach to assessing advantages of nuclear and its safety for public health.