Working Paper: NBER ID: w18736
Authors: Resul Cesur; Erdal Tekin; Aydogan Ulker
Abstract: Natural gas has emerged as an increasingly attractive source of energy since it is highly efficient, abundant, and cleaner than any other fossil fuel. In this paper, we examine the impact of widespread adoption of natural gas as a source of fuel on infant mortality in Turkey, using variation across provinces and over time in the intensity of natural gas utilization. Our estimates indicate that the expansion of natural gas infrastructure has resulted in a significant decrease in the rate of infant mortality. Specifically, a one-percentage point increase in natural gas intensity - measured by the rate of subscriptions to natural gas services - would cause the infant mortality rate to decrease by 3.9 percent, which would translate into approximately 340 infant lives saved in 2011 alone.
Keywords: Air Pollution; Infant Mortality; Natural Gas; Health Economics
JEL Codes: I01; I12; I15; I18; O10; O13; Q42; Q48; Q53
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| natural gas infrastructure expansion (L95) | infant mortality rate (J13) |
| natural gas intensity (subscriptions) (L95) | infant mortality rate (J13) |