Pollution
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Walkable Cities: Ending the Automobile Reign
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In the US, the car is an unkind king to its citizens. Cars mobilize, but also blast out pollutants and promote a sedentary and lonelier lifestyle. Conversely, walkable cities—where reaching local amenities on foot is both feasible and pleasant—bring myriad health and social benefits. Suburban sprawl is not conducive to…
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Culture and the Environment: How Cultural Values Influence Global Ecologic Practices
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This piece, first published on December 4, 2014, is being republished as part of the Chicago Policy Review‘s 20th Anniversary Series. Please visit us here to learn more about the series from our Executive Editors. Cultural values influence a myriad of topics—education, wealth distribution, government oversight—but the extent to which these values influence environmental attitudes is…
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Feel It in the Air: Pollution and Crime in Chicago
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A recent study provides the first quasi-experimental evidence of a link between air pollution and criminal behavior. Researchers estimate the cost of pollution-induced crime and make a case for environmental sustainability policies that consider the impact of pollution and crime on communities.
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Are electric cars more environmentally friendly? It depends where you drive them.
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The boom in electric car sales, enhanced by federal subsidies, does not reflect the fact that, in some cases, powering those cars produces more emissions than powering conventional cars. The characteristics of each state and regional mode of electricity generation should be considered in designing a subsidy (or tax) scheme.
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Culture and the Environment: How Cultural Values Influence Global Ecologic Practices
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Researchers explore whether links exist between global environmental performance and culture.
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Dreaming of Blue Skies: The Impact of Winter Heating on Air Quality in Northern China
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Winter heating is linked to higher ambient concentrations of total suspended particles (TSP) and a reduction in life expectancy in northern China.
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Are Large Cities More Pollution Efficient?
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New research explores how population size relates to CO2 emissions efficiency.
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Medium Rare: What’s Cooking in the Rare Earth Element Market?
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Markets for Rare Earth Metals have become increasingly volatile. Six economists project future supply and demand trends.
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When Costs Outweigh Benefits: Accounting for Environmental Externalities
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Beware of net negative value industries.