Earth Protect Blog

https://www.inverse.com/science/second-hand-smoke-us-maps Scientists estimate that each year in the U.S., outdoor air pollution shortens the lives of about 100,000 people by one to two decades.

As it turns out, much of this pollution originates not in a person’s own neighborhood, but up to hundreds or even thousands of miles away in neighboring states. And, absent strong federal regulations, there’s very little Americans can do about it.

In a study published on February 12, we used state-of-the-art modeling to estimate the number of air pollution-related deaths that combustion emissions – those from any kind of burning, from cook stoves to car engines to coal power plants – from each state have caused in every other state over the past 14 years.

On average, 41 percent of these air pollution deaths in the U.S. resulted from what we call “secondhand smoke” emissions that CROSSED STATE LINES.

This share has been declining over time, down from 53 percent in 2005, thanks in large part to reductions in sulfur dioxide emissions from the electric power sector. However, not every sector, or every state, has been a success story.

This article was originally published on The Conversation by Sebastian Eastham & Steven Barrett. Read the original article here.