Environmental impacts of power stations

Visualization of narrower problems
Name(s): 
Degradation of the environment from electrical power generation
Nature 
Electricity generation in large centralized installations, whether using fossil fuel or nuclear power, has several environmental impacts. It is thermodynamically inevitable that about 60% of the heat energy generated is 'waste' and, unless it can be used as low-grade heat to warm buildings nearby, it has to be released into the environment.

Other waste by-products of electricity generation include emissions into the air of polluting gases.

Value(s) 
Type 
(D) Detailed problems