New York City is the most densely populated city in the United States and one of the most densely populated megacities around the world. It is an important center of international diplomacy, and has even been termed the capital of the world, by some. With all these accolades, it is alarming to hear yet another feat of the city, one of the cities with the highest asthma levels in the country. With 10% of adults in NYC being asthmatic racial disparities are evident. African American children suffer from asthma at a rate of about 22%. Hispanic and Asian Children are affected at rates of 15% and 10 % respectively, while only 4% of white children are affected. Further research shows that the Bronx, specifically the south Bronx has one of the highest hospitalization rates for asthma in the city. The Bronx saw three times as many persons being hospitalized for asthma as the rest of the city. Between 2010 and 2014, there was a 1.1% increase in the rate of occurrence of asthma in children between the age of 5 and 14 years of age, from 2.4% to 3.5%. These high rates of asthma are attributed to high levels of pollutions, not the least of which comes from the major highways that all go through the Bronx.

            In 2019, Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced a green initiative in the city that is aimed at a reduction in the levels of pollution within the city among other goals. One of the major points of this plan, is the linking of zero-emission hydropower from Canada. In addition to this hydropower, utilization of solar energy could help reducing the levels of pollution within the city. When paired, solar energy and hydro-energy could be utilized in New York City to reduce the levels of pollution caused by the production and use of non-renewable energy sources thereby reducing the asthma levels in the city.

            Research shows that there is a direct correlation between the levels of pollutants and toxins in the air and the levels of asthma in the nearby residents. Therefore, a reduction in the levels of these pollutants will result in a reduction in the rate of prevalence of asthma in the communities affected. The use of solar energy presents an alternative form of energy that is renewable and that can be produced without the harmful emissions produced by burning coal, fossil fuels or natural gasses. Solar energy can be produced with greenhouse gas emissions of about 22-46 grams per kilo Watt-hour (g/kWh) which is 10 to 20 times less than the greenhouse gas emissions of non-renewable energy sources. Gas-fired power plants range on emissions anywhere from 400-600 g/kWh, while oil fired plants emit about 893 g/kWh. Both of these are lower than the emission levels of coal power plants which range from 915-99a g/kWh. In a city that generates about 18000 GWh of energy in a year, we are looking at a difference in emission of less than half a million metric tons with solar energy, versus more than 7 million metric tons with gas (assuming all the energy was produced strictly by solar energy and natural gas  respectively, using the highest levels of protection against greenhouse gas emissions). These night and day differences in emission levels can lead to considerably cleaner air quality which would greatly reduces the asthma rates in the city.

            One of the major detractors of using solar power is the amount of space that it is required to produce any levels of output that would be required to supply the alarmingly high needs of NYC. It is worth noting that in terms of net land use, coal utilizes way more land than solar energy. When you factor in the land used for mines, coal utilizes about 18 square meter-years per mega watt-hour. That is about 60,600 football fields to supply the needs of NYC. In comparison, solar energy requires 7.9 square meter-years per mega watt-hour or about 26,600 football fields. Unfortunately, the majority of land needs for coal would be located far away from NYC. As such, the land needs for coal powered plants in NYC would be greatly reduced, and would only be a fraction of the land needed for solar energy. There is a level of compromise that is available however. Using the roofs of buildings around NYC would provide a large surface area to produce a substantial amount of energy for the city. Using this space would mean that their would be little to no parks, or green spaces taken away from the residents of NYC who rely on these spaces.

            With the use of solar energy and hydro-energy residents of the city would also see a reduction in the cost of energy over time. As research provides updated information and modifications to solar energy panels, the initial cost is continuously dropping. This is the bulk of the cost of solar energy as the necessary upkeep is minimal. Solar panels last anywhere from 25  to 45 years once installed (varying in different climates). The use of solar energy could see a reduction in the cost of energy starting at around 10% which would increase over time as more solar panels are set up increasing the overall output, and decreasing the reliance on non-renewable energy sources. This will be especially good news for the many residents of NYC who live on low incomes. The reduction in a utility bill will lead to more money that can be better placed towards something else.

            Under Mayor DeBlasio’s green initiative, the linking of hydro-power from Canada to NYC presents a source of energy with minimal impact on the city directly. The land being used would be limited to the current lines and distribution centers that would be required. This requires minimal encroachment on city parks and green spaces as this could most likely utilize already existing channels. Not including the distribution centers, the greenhouse gas emissions would have minimal impact on the city as the energy would not be produced in the NYC. The city would see the benefits of lowered and stabilized energy costs as water is always running and not at risk of running out.

 

       

 

     It goes without saying, that something needs to be done about the health disparities within the various communities of NYC in regards to asthma. The number of people suffering on a daily basis from this illness, primarily in minority communities, is unacceptable. That these numbers continue to rise, especially when there is something that can be done to combat these rising numbers is appalling. The pairing of solar energy and hydro-energy provides the city with a cleaner and cheaper energy alternative that would help combat climate change and improve the air quality within the city, thereby improving the overall health of it’s residents. Not to mention, it will also save New Yorkers a lot of money in the long run, which will lend to putting a smile on everyone’s face.

 

Action on global warming: NYC’s Green New Deal. The official website of the City of New York. (2019, April 22). Retrieved October 31, 2021, from https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/209-19/action-global-warming-nyc-s-green-new-deal#/0.

Alsema, E.A.; Wild – Scholten, M.J. de; Fthenakis, V.M. Environmental impacts of PV electricity generation – a critical comparison of energy supply options Archived 6 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine ECN, September 2006; 7p. Presented at the 21st European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, Dresden, Germany, 4–8 September 2006.

 

“Alternative energy sources.” Environmental Encyclopedia, edited by Deirdre S. Blanchfield, Gale, 2011. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CV2644150058/OVIC?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=07a1f0ef. Accessed 17 Oct.

2021.

 Alves, B. (2021, July 5). Annual energy usage in New York by region 2016. Statista. Retrieved October 31, 2021, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/858006/annual-electric-energy-consumption-by-region-in-new-york/.

Fridleifsson, Ingvar B.; Bertani, Ruggero; Huenges, Ernst; Lund, John W.; Ragnarsson, Arni; Rybach, Ladislaus (11 February 2008). O. Hohmeyer and T. Trittin (ed.). “The possible role and contribution of geothermal energy to the mitigation of climate change” (PDF). IPCC Scoping Meeting on Renewable Energy Sources, Luebeck, Germany: 59–80. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2011.

Hertwich, E. G., Gibon, T., Bouman, E. A., Arvesen, A., Suh, S., Heath, G. A., Bergesen, J. D., Ramirez, A., Vega, M. I., & Shi, L. (2014). Integrated life-cycle assessment of electricity-supply scenarios confirms global environmental benefit of low-carbon technologies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(20), 6277–6282. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1312753111

Hydroelectric Power: Advantages of Production and Usage. Hydroelectric Power: Advantages of production and usage. (2018). Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/hydroelectric-power-advantages-production-and-usage?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects.

Jakhongir Turakul Ugli, T. (2019). The importance of alternative solar energy sources and the advantages and disadvantages of using solar panels in this process. American Journal of Software Engineering and Applications, 8(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajsea.20190801.14

Lund, John W. (June 2007). “Characteristics, Development and utilization of geothermal resources” (PDF). Geo-Heat Centre Quarterly Bulletin. 28 (2). Klamath Falls, Oregon: Oregon Institute of Technology. pp. 1–9. ISSN 0276-1084. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 June 2010.

Nooranne, S. (2021, July 7). 25 highest asthma rates in the US by City. Yahoo! Retrieved October 31, 2021, from https://www.yahoo.com/now/25-highest-asthma-rates-us-125551042.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALJ7gLRbgq_s_4P2LgXkItH0Hq1_Orv-kwWAxfptko8p5xodML0bKzd91YdG6Jo6wXqwcLsjGlErSl9eb__ouyz4zZlSftvgA4uQRd3SRJhLXotUEtRhikMAfCx7rVU_br7iSYTdbaDFlg1lvY1wW3794MazmnK0U0ex3XlCQ3uS.

Renewable Energy.” Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2021. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,

link.gale.com/apps/doc/PC3021900146/OVIC?u=cuny_ccny&sid=bookmark-OVIC&xid=e2ea4772. Accessed 17 Oct. 2021.

Thurston, G. D., & Lee, A. (2021). Evidence of air pollution exposure and new asthma onset: Further justification for Cleaner Air. European Respiratory Journal, 57(6), 2100064. https://doi.org/10.1183/13993003.00064-2021

Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, October 15). List of power stations in New York. Wikipedia. Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_power_stations_in_New_York.

Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, October 31). New York City. Wikipedia. Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City.

Written by Victoria Masterson, S. W. (n.d.). ‘renewables’ power ahead to become the world’s cheapest source of energy in 2020. World Economic Forum. Retrieved November 1, 2021, from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/renewables-cheapest-energy-source/.