Reviewing household air pollution
The global impacts of household fuel use – on health, productivity, the environment, and overall social welfare – is receiving increasing attention, from researchers in a range of disciplines. I have recently been working on several reviews and perspectives on this issue. The first is a review of the economics of household air pollution (see description below). The second is a perspective paper about the potential for new global targets on household air pollution to be included in the UN Sustainable Development Goals that are to be elaborated and discussed in 2015.
Click here for a short video summary of points raised in my perspective paper.
Main research collaborators:
- Subhrendu Pattanayak; Faraz Usmani (Duke)
- Randall Bluffstone (Portland State University)
Related Publications:
Jeuland, M.; R. Bluffstone; S.K. Pattanayak (2015). “The economics of household air pollution.” Annual Review of Resource Economics 7: 81-108.
Abstract: Traditional energy technologies and consumer products contribute to household well‐being in diverse ways, but often also harm household air quality. This paper reviews the problem of household air pollution (HAP) generation at a global scale, focusing particularly on the negative effects of traditional cooking and heating. Drawing on the theory of household production of improved health, we illustrate the ambiguous relationship between household utility and adoption of behaviors and technologies that decrease air pollution. We then review how the theory relates to the seemingly contradictory findings emerging from the literature on household demand for clean fuels and stoves. In conclusion, we describe an economics research agenda to close the knowledge gaps so that policies and programs can be designed and evaluated to solve this critical global problem.
