NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, October 13, 2017

When the governments of wealthy countries talk about emissions, the discussion tends to focus on outdoor air pollution from car exhaust or industrial processes.

But for many people in developing countries, the biggest exposure to pollution happens inside their homes. Some 3 billion people worldwide depend on solid fuel — often wood, charcoal or dung — for heat and light. That’s a death sentence for many because inhaling the tiny particles created when these fuels burn is damaging to the lungs.

Dirty air, besides contributing to global warming, leads to 4 million deaths per year, according to the World Health Organization. That’s about 1 millions deaths in China, 600,000 in India and 140,000 in Russia in 2012 alone.

Photo courtesy of Russ Keyte.