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income. Inadequate equipment and ventilation means that these fuels, burned inside
the house, cause a high toll of disease and death through air pollution and fires.
This example serves to illustrate the two themes of the social dimension: Equity and
Health. Social equity is one of the principal values underlying sustainable
development, involving the degree of fairness and inclusiveness with which energy
resources
are distributed, energy systems are made accessible and pricing schemes are
formulated to ensure affordability. Energy should be available to all at a fair price.
The Equity indicators have the sub-themes of Accessibility, Affordability and
Disparities. Because of a lack of access to modern energy (for example, by not being
connected to the electricity grid), poor households not only spend a larger portion of
their income on energy than do the rich, but they often have to pay more in absolute
terms per unit of useful energy. A household in an African township often has to pay
more for the coal or paraffin needed to cook a meal than one in a European city pays
for the electricity to do the same amount of cooking. The
lack of electricity limits
work opportunities and productivity, as without electricity it is only possible to use
the simplest tools and equipment. It also usually means, among other limitations,
inadequate illumination, limited telecommunications and no refrigeration.
Limited income (limited affordability) may force households to use traditional fuel
and inefficient technologies, and the time needed to find and collect fuelwood is time
that cannot be spent cultivating fields or otherwise working.
The poor usually have to
spend a large share of their income on indispensable energy fuels such as those
required for services like cooking and heating.
There may be disparities in access or affordability between regions and between
income groups within a region. Disparities within a country or between countries may
result from highly uneven income distributions, inadequate energy transport and
distribution networks, and major geographical differences among regions. In many
countries the large disparity in household incomes and energy affordability is a major
problem in low-income neighbourhoods
in both urban and rural areas, even if
commercial energy services are available.
The Accessibility and Affordability indicators are clear markers of progress towards
development. They also mark an improvement in the situation of women, since it is
invariably women who bear the burden of fuel collection in poor countries. With
easily obtainable commercial energy, these women will have more time to improve
their lot and that of their children.
The use of energy should not damage human health, but rather should improve it by
improving living conditions. Yet the production of energy
has the potential to cause
injury or disease through pollution generation or accidents. A social goal is to reduce
or eliminate these negative impacts. The Health indicators have the sub-theme of
Safety, which covers accident fatalities caused by the extraction, conversion,
transmission/distribution and use of energy. Oil rigs and, particularly, coal mines are
subject to accidents that injure, maim or kill people. Oil refineries and power stations
may release emissions into the air that cause lung or respiratory diseases. However,
per
unit of energy, the toll from energy use in households is often much higher. In
squatter camps or informal settlements, for example, fires that kill or maim people are
regular occurrences. In households that burn coal, wood and kerosene for cooking and
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heating in traditional fireplaces and stoves, there are high levels of respiratory
diseases, especially in children.
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