Neumayer, Eric 
ORCID: 0000-0003-2719-7563
(2004)
Examining the impact of demographic factors on air pollution.
Population and Environment, 26 (1).
pp. 5-21.
ISSN 1573-7810
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Abstract
This study adds to the emerging literature examining empirically the link between population size, other demographic factors and pollution. We contribute by using more robust estimation techniques and examine two air pollutants. By considering sulfur dioxide, we become the first study to explicitly examine the impact of demographic factors on a pollutant other than carbon dioxide at the cross-national level. We also take into account the urbanization rate and the average household size neglected by many prior cross-national econometric studies. For carbon dioxide emissions we find evidence that population increases are matched by proportional increases in emissions while a higher urbanization rate and lower average household size increase emissions. The results suggest particular concern for developing countries with their high population growth rates and a trend towards urbanization and smaller household sizes. We find a U-shaped relationship between population size and sulfur dioxide emissions. Beyond a threshold level at a small population size, the estimated elasticity increases with higher existing population levels. For sulfur dioxide, other demographic factors do not matter.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | http://springerlink.metapress.com/openurl.asp?genr... |
| Additional Information: | Published 2004 © Springer. LSE has developed LSE Research Online so that users may access research output of the School. Copyright and Moral Rights for the papers on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. Users may download and/or print one copy of any article(s) in LSE Research Online to facilitate their private study or for non-commercial research. You may not engage in further distribution of the material or use it for any profit-making activities or any commercial gain. You may freely distribute the URL (<http://eprints.lse.ac.uk>) of the LSE Research Online website. |
| Divisions: | Geography & Environment |
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences |
| Date Deposited: | 18 May 2006 |
| Last Modified: | 19 Nov 2024 02:39 |
| URI: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/621 |
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