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https://grist.org/energy/installing-heat-pumps-in-factories-could-save-1-5-trillion-and-77000-lives/>
"For several years now, heat pumps have outsold gas furnaces in the United
States. Instead of burning fossil fuels to generate warmth, these appliances
use electricity — ideally provided by renewable sources like wind and solar —
to transfer heat from even frigid outdoor air into a home. Many states have
recognized the power of these highly efficient devices for both reducing
emissions and keeping people from burning toxic natural gas in their homes: In
2023, Maine hit its goal of installing 100,000 of them two years ahead of
schedule, then went ahead and pledged to install 175,000 more by 2027.
Now, attention is turning toward industries that burn fossil fuels in boilers
to process food, textiles, and a bevy of other goods. In addition to producing
almost a quarter of the nation’s directly emitted greenhouse gases, the
manufacturing sector loads the atmosphere with toxicants, including nitrogen
oxides, sulfur oxides, and PM 2.5 — particulate matter smaller than 2.5
millionths of a meter — which all cause extensive and severe health problems
across the country.
The solution is the humble heat pump, albeit much larger versions than you’d
get for your home. A new report from the American Lung Association finds that
replacing 33,500 conventional, combustion-based boilers nationwide with this
electric alternative could avoid 77,200 premature deaths, 33 million asthma
attacks, and more than 200,000 new asthma cases by 2050. It would also save
$1.1 trillion in health costs in that period, and prevent $351 billion in
climate damages."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
