Air Pollution and Infant Mortality: Evidence from the Expansion of Natural Gas Infrastructure

Abstract

We examine the impact of widespread adoption of natural gas as a source of fuel on infant mortality in Turkey, using variation across provinces and over time in the intensity of natural gas utilisation. Our estimates indicate that the expansion of natural gas infrastructure has resulted in a significant decrease in the rate of infant mortality.Specifically, a one-percentage point increase in natural gas intensity -measured by the rate of subscriptions to natural gas services -would cause the infant mortality rate to decrease by 4%, which would translate into approximately 348 infant lives saved in 2011 alone.

A novel microwave assisted reverse micelle fabrication route for Th (IV)‐MOFs as highly efficient adsorbent nanostructures with controllable structural properties to CO and CH4 adsorption: Design, and a systematic study

“…The increase in pollution by gaseous compounds has considerably increased in the past decade due to the expansion of industrial activities . This environmental dilemma is a global concern for the human society .…”

“…The increase in pollution by gaseous compounds has considerably increased in the past decade due to the expansion of industrial activities. [1] This environmental dilemma is a global concern for the human society. [2] With regard to the increasing negative effects of pollutant gases, it is essential to trap and reduce these pollutants through an easy and affordable process employing highly efficient adsorbents.…”

Extreme Air Pollution in Global Megacities

“…Aside from directed policies, economic factors such as energy prices and macroeconomic fluctuations are important considerations. Cesur et al [98] found that a boom in natural gas decreased infant mortality in Turkey, and Heutel and Ruhm [99] pointed to macroeconomic fluctuations as an important source of uncertainty in projecting forward the costs of pollution.…”

Can natural gas save lives? Evidence from the deployment of a fuel delivery system in a developing country

“…See http://www.c2es.org/energy/source/natural-gas. While many developed countries have enacted environmental policies and regulations, and established effective monitoring systems to reduce carbon emissions, the progress in the developing world has been relatively stagnant because there are barriers to effective enforcement of regulations due to weak governance and corruption (Cesur et al, 2016;Greenstone and Hanna, 2014;Jayachandran, 2009). Environmental concerns are also overshadowed by the pressure that governments in these countries are facing in order to maintain robust economic growth.…”

“…Despite all the attention paid to the natural gas revolution and its potentially profound implications for air pollution, the influence of a nationwide adoption of natural gas as the primary source of fuel on public health, particularly from the perspective of adults and the elderly is largely unknown. The only other investigation on this topic, Cesur et al (2016), demonstrates that a widespread displacement of coal by natural gas had a significant reduction in infant mortality in Turkey. In the present study, we take the analysis in Cesur et al (2016) a step further by examining the efficacy of the deployment of natural gas networks on mortality rates among adults and the elderly.…”