Erik Johnson
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Carthage economics professor Erik Johnson published a new article in the journal Energy Economics, titled “Two Birds, One Stone? Local Pollution Regulation and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.”

Most industrial processes in the United States manufacturing sector emit air pollution that stays relatively close to the source (local air pollutants), as well as greenhouse gases that have an effect on the entire world (global pollutants). Since these pollutants are emitted from the same processes, it is possible that current efforts in the U.S. to reduce air pollution that stays in the U.S. has had an effect on greenhouse gases that effect the entire world and are unregulated in most of the U.S.

Prof. Johnson uses data from all industrial sources over the past decade in the U.S. and shows that the tightening on regulations on local air pollutants have not had an effect on greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. This suggests that regulations specifically targeting greenhouse gases need to be enacted in order to confront the problem of climate change.