Countries that mine coal are damaging the health of their neighbors. This is confirmed by a report produced by four NGOs. France is the third most affected country.
“Because the air pollution linked to coal and its impact on health does not stop at the borders of the countries which exploit it, it is imperative that all the countries of the European Union renounce this polluting energy”. It is the conclusion of a report (1) published on Tuesday produced by four NGOs: WWF, the Alliance for Health and Environment (HEAL), the Climate Action Europe Network (CAN Europe) and Sandbag.
For the first time, these environmental activists have studied the movement of coal dust from European power plants (257 out of 280 plants – UK included) and the impact on health of air pollution. they lead.
As a result, in 2013 alone, their broadcasts were responsible for more than 22,900 premature deaths and tens of thousands of health problems ranging from heart disease to bronchitis and cancer. The authors point out that fine particles are “the most toxic ingredient” in coal pollution: they killed around 19,000 people, or 83% of the total.
“These particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns penetrate deep into the respiratory system and into the blood. They can travel far from their place of emission, for hundreds of kilometers, ”recalls the report on this point. He underlines that in total, for the same year, the health costs of this pollution amounted to more than 62.3 billion euros.
France very impacted
On the side of the culprits, the countries of the European Union whose coal-fired power stations have the most negative repercussions abroad are Poland (4,690 premature deaths beyond its borders), Germany (2,490) , Romania (1,660), Bulgaria (1,390) and the United Kingdom (1,350).
“The countries most affected by pollution from power plants on their soil or from power plants in their European neighbors are Germany (3,630 premature deaths), Italy (1,610), France (1,380), Greece (1,050) and Hungary (700) ”, specify the authors.
“This report denounces the high health costs that go along with our dependence on coal and thus dispels the myth that coal is a cheap source of energy. No country will be able to solve the problem of air pollution linked to energy production on its own. This is why we hope that EU countries will keep this information in mind and act collectively to improve air quality ”, believes Anne Stauffer, Deputy Director of the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL) in a press release.
Towards renewable energies
“Nearly 10 billion euros of public money still come each year to finance the coal industry. How can we justify that the taxpayer supports this industry which both pollutes the environment and contributes to the deaths of several thousand Europeans? », Regrets Pascal Canfin, Director General of WWF France.
And these people committed to end with a glimmer of hope. “The report reveals that each closure of a coal-fired power plant translates into considerable benefits for both health and the climate, well beyond national borders,” concludes Wendel Trio, director of the Climate Action Network.
As a reminder, by signing theParis Agreement at COP 21, EU heads of state pledged to accelerate the development of 100% renewable energies. Coal accounted for 18% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2014.
(1) “Europe’s black cloud: how countries using coal make their neighbors sick”
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