From @nowthisearth: A new report finds that air pollution is killing people at a faster rate than smoking, car crashes, or HIV/AIDS. Prof. Michael Greenstone at the University of Chicago and his colleagues developed the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI), which looks at the death rates in certain areas compared to their respective levels of air pollution. The research shows that people living in polluted areas have a higher propensity for heart and lung problems, which has been cutting short the lives of billions of people by up to 6 years. ⁠
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‘Coal is the source of the problem in most parts of the world,’ said Greenstone, via The Guardian. ‘If these [health] costs were embedded in prices, coal would be uncompetitive in almost all parts of the world.’⁠

The report says residents in India are the most adversely affected by air pollution, with the average citizen losing an estimated 6 years off their lives due to it. In China, air pollution can cut off an estimated 2.6 years from an average resident’s longevity.⁠
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#airpollution #airquality #pollution #smoke #smog

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