From Fog to Smog: The Value of Pollution Information

Panle Barwick (), Shanjun Li, Liguo Lin and Eric Zou

American Economic Review, 2024, vol. 114, issue 5, 1338-81

Abstract: In 2013, China launched a landmark program to monitor air quality and disclose real-time data, significantly increasing the public's access to and awareness of pollution information. The program triggered cascading behavioral changes such as stronger avoidance of outdoor pollution exposure and increased spending on protective products. These behavioral responses mitigated the mortality impact of air pollution. Conservative estimates indicate that the program's health benefits outweigh the costs by an order of magnitude. The findings highlight the benefits of improving public access to pollution information in developing countries which often experience severe air pollution but lack pollution data collection and dissemination.

JEL-codes: D83 D91 I12 O13 P28 Q51 Q53 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Working Paper: From Fog to Smog: the Value of Pollution Information (2019)
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DOI: 10.1257/aer.20200956

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