Section 44

Environment

The category entitled Environment refers to the impact on the natural world of energy use in all forms. This section is complemented by two others, Ecology and Health and Safety, both of which focus on effects on organismal life rather than the physical environment. Ecology deals with energy effects on nonhuman organisms and Health and Safety covers effects on humans.

Energy use did affect the environment to some extent in the preindustrial era through the clearing of forests for wood fuel, and through the urban air pollution resulting from burning of this fuel for processes such as ironmaking and brewing. However, it was not until the Industrial Revolution created an intensive demand for fuel to power engines and machines ...

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