Environmental Costs of Fossil Fuels : A Rapid Assessment Method with Application to Six Cities

Among the key external effects of fossil fuel contribution are urban air pollution, and changes in global climate. A study of six cities in developing countries, and transition economies estimates the magnitude of these effects, and, examines how various fuels, and pollution sources contribute to health damages, and other environmental costs. The study develops a simple, but robust method for rapid assessment of these damages. By linking the damage to a particular fuel use, or pollution source, the method makes possible cost-benefit analysis of pollution abatement measures. The findings show very high levels of environmental damage, and reveal large sectoral differences. By far the greatest share of the total damage, is that to human health, from exposure to ambient particulates, caused mainly by small pollution sources, such as vehicles, and household stoves. Large industries, and power plants account for a smaller proportion of health damage, but are the major contributors to carbon dioxide emissions, which have an impact on global climate. The complex relationships between pollution sources, and environmental effects, highlight the need for a skillful mix of policy instruments, built on rigorous analysis. The damage assessment method proposed herein, provides a useful analytical tool, to be easily applied to other urban areas.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Lvovsky, Kseniya, Hughes, Gordon, Maddison, David, Ostro, Bart, Pearce, David
Language:	English en_US
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2000-10
Subjects:	ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS, FOSSIL FUELS, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, FOSSIL FUEL COMBUSTION WASTES, URBAN AIR POLLUTION, CLIMATIC CHANGE, CASE STUDIES, HEALTH HAZARDS, POLLUTION SOURCES, COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS, POLLUTION ABATEMENT, SECTORAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, HUMAN HEALTH, VEHICLE EMISSIONS, HOUSEHOLD ENERGY CONSUMPTION, STOVES, INDUSTRIAL POLLUTION, POWER PLANT FUEL CONSUMPTION, CARBON DIOXIDE ABSORPTION, GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE, POLICY FRAMEWORK, ANALYTICAL METHODS ABATEMENT MEASURES, ABATEMENT STRATEGIES, ACID RAIN, ACIDITY, ACUTE MORBIDITY, ADVERSE EFFECTS, ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS, AIR POLLUTANTS, AIR POLLUTION, AIR QUALITY, AMBIENT AIR, AMBIENT AIR POLLUTION, AMBIENT AIR QUALITY, AMBIENT CONCENTRATIONS, AMBIENT POLLUTION, ASH, ATMOSPHERIC DISPERSION, AUTOMOTIVE DIESEL, BENEFIT ANALYSIS, BURNING COAL, CARBON, CARBON DIOXIDE, CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS, CARBON EMISSIONS, CATASTROPHIC EVENTS, CHRONIC BRONCHITIS, CLEANER ENERGY, CLEANER FUELS, CLIMATE, CLIMATE CHANGE, CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, CO2, COAL, CONCENTRATIONS, CONSUMPTION OF FOSSIL, CORROSION, DIESEL, ECOSYSTEM, ELECTRICITY, EMISSIONS, ENERGY CONSUMPTION, ENERGY USE, ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE, ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGES, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, EXTERNALITIES, FINE PARTICULATES, FOSSIL FUEL, FOSSIL FUEL USE, FUEL, FUEL BURNING, FUEL COMBUSTION, FUEL CONSUMPTION, FUEL MIX, FUEL OIL, FUEL QUALITY, FUEL SWITCHING, FUEL TAXATION, FUEL USE, FUEL WOOD, FURNACES, GAS, GAS OIL, GASOLINE, GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT, GREENHOUSE, GREENHOUSE GASES, HEALTH PROBLEMS, HEAVY FUEL OIL, INCOME, INCOME LEVELS, INDUSTRIAL BOILERS, INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS, LAKES, LIFE EXPECTANCY, METEOROLOGICAL DATA, MORTALITY, NITROGEN, NITROGEN OXIDES, NOX, OIL, OILS, PARTICLES, PETROLEUM PRODUCTS, PM10, POLICY INSTRUMENTS, POLLUTANTS, POLLUTION, POWER GENERATION, POWER PLANTS, RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS, RESTRICTED ACTIVITY DAYS, SO2, SOCIAL COSTS, SULFUR, SULFUR DIOXIDE, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, TAXATION, TRAFFIC, TRANSPORT FUELS, UNEP, URBAN AREAS, VEHICLE, VEHICLES, WAGES, WILLINGNESS TO PAY, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION, WTP,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2000/10/1977243/environmental-costs-fossil-fuels-rapid-assessment-method-application-six-cities https://hdl.handle.net/10986/18303
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