EU agency: air pollution costs exceed $134 billion

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http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_EUROPE_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-11-24-08-37-51

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- Air pollution isn't just harmful - it's expensive, resulting in health care and environmental costs of more than euro100 billion ($130 billion) in 2009, the European Union's environment agency said Thursday.

The energy sector had the highest pollution costs, followed by manufacturing and production processes, according to the report by the European Environment Agency.

The findings underscore the environmental and health impacts of fossil fuel-based power generation, "making the case for introducing cleaner types of energy even more urgent," EEA head Jacqueline McGlade said in a statement.

The EU agency's estimates were based on emissions statistics from Europe's 10,000 biggest-polluting industries. The calculations included costs related to health care and loss of productivity as well as impacts on crops and material damage.

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1. THANK YOU!

We need more transparency about the true costs of some of the kinds of business being done.