Energy powers the modern world, fueling innovation and improving people’s lives. But humanity’s energy usage is also generating levels of pollution that are substantially shortening human lifespans and causing disruptive climate change. Finding a way to supply the energy needed for human development without risking health or the environment is one of the world’s most important challenges: the Global Energy Challenge.
To promote and discuss current research on these issues, the Kenneth C. Griffin Applied Economics Incubator and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) hosted a series of academic conferences on each component of the Global Energy Challenge: energy access and markets, air pollution, and climate change.
The Socioeconomic Effects of Air Pollution
Air pollution from fossil fuel combustion poses a grave threat to human health worldwide. This conference looked at the effects of air pollution on human health and society as well as the effectiveness of government policies to confront it.