Nitrogen oxides, mercury and fine airborne particles exacerbate asthma, reduce lung function, and cause respiratory diseases and premature death for many thousands of Americans. Nuclear wastes present a serious storage problem, and human exposure results in severe radiation sickness and death. Almost every step of the process of supplying energy damages the environment. Mining, drilling, and pipeline installation disrupt whole ecosystems. Fossil fuel combustion emits gaseous pollutants that cause global warming, acid rain, and smog.
Nuclear fission creates radioactive waste.
Smog forms when nitrogen oxides and reactive organic gases combine, especially on warm, still days. Smog causes crop, forest, and property damage. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides both combine with water in the atmosphere to create acid rain. Acid rain acidifies the soils and waters where it falls, killing off plants, fish, and the animals that depend on them. Global Warming Global warming is caused by many gases, but carbon dioxide is responsible for at least half of the warming.