Coal Phase-Down Has Lowered, Not Eliminated Health Risks From Building Energy, Study Says
Biomass and natural gas have become an increasingly large share of the health burden of fueling buildings and factories.
May 7, 2021
The Los Angeles skyline is seen during twilight on Aug. 21, 2013 in California. Credit: Joe Klamar/AFP via Getty Images
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Thanks to the phase-down of coal, the risk of premature death in the United States due to the burning of fuels for electricity, homes and businesses fell 54 to 60 percent from 2008 to 2017, Harvard researchers found in a new study.
But their results showed that fuel use in buildings still accounts for a significant health burden, causing an estimated 48,000 to 64,000 premature deaths in 2017, with the hazards of burning biomass, natural gas and wood now surpassing those of coal.