Title
Cardiovascular disease—risk benefits of clean fuel technology and policy: A statistical analysis
Campus Units
Economics
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
2-2010
Journal or Book Title
Energy Policy
Volume
38
Issue
2
First Page or Article ID Number
1210
Last Page
1222
DOI
10.1016/j.enpol.2009.11.013
Abstract
The hypothesis of this study is that there is a statistical relationship between the cardiovascular disease mortality rate and the intensity of fuel consumption (measured in gallons/square mile) at a particular location. We estimate cross-sectional regressions of the mortality rate due to cardiovascular disease against the intensity of fuel consumption using local data for the entire US, before the US Clean Air Act (CAA) in 1974 and after the most recent policy revisions in 2004. The cardiovascular disease rate improvement estimate suggests that up to 60 cardiovascular disease deaths per 100,000 residents are avoided in the largest urban areas with highest fuel consumption per square mile. In New York City, for instance, the mortality reduction may be worth about $30.3 billion annually. Across the US, the estimated Value of Statistical Life (VSL) benefit is $202.7 billion annually. There are likely three inseparable reasons that contributed importantly to this welfare improvement. First, the CAA regulations banned leaded gasoline, and mandated reduction in specific chemicals and smog components. Second, technologies such as the Catalytic Converter (CC) for the automobile and the low particulate diesel engine were adopted. Third, biofuels have had important roles, making the adoption of clean air technology possible and substituting for high emission fuels.
Rights
Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted.
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Gallagher, Paul; Lazarus, William; Shapouri, Hosein; Conway, Roger; Bachewe, Fantu; and Fischer, Amelia, "Cardiovascular disease—risk benefits of clean fuel technology and policy: A statistical analysis" (2010). Economics Publications. 450.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/econ_las_pubs/450
Included in
Econometrics Commons, Energy Policy Commons, Environmental Health and Protection Commons, Health Policy Commons, Oil, Gas, and Energy Commons
Comments
This article is from Energy Policy 38 (2010): 1210, doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2009.11.013.