ERG Colloquium: Johannes Urpelainen: Environmental Justice in India: Incidence of Air Pollution from Coal-Fired Power Plants

Air pollution is a vexing problem for emerging countries that strike a delicate balance between environmental, health, and energy for growth. We examine these difficulties in a study of disparate levels of exposure to pollution from coal-fired power generation in India, a country with high levels of air pollution and large populations suffering from marginalization. With data on coal plant locations, atmospheric conditions, and census demographics, we estimate exposure to coal plant emissions using models that predict particle transportation. We find ethnic and poor populations are more likely to be exposed to coal pollution.