The case for immediate climate action could not be more stark. Global temperatures have already risen by 1.1°C and over 3 billion people are highly vulnerable to the effects of a warming planet, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). We need to immediately adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. We also have to limit warming as close to 1.5°C … [Read more...] about Achieving Climate Change Goals Means Redirecting 7 to 19% of GDP Worth of Spending Decisions
Bridget Hoffmann
Bridget Hoffmann is an economist in the Research Department of the Inter-American Development Bank. Her research interests are applied microeconomics, development economics, and environmental economics. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from Northwestern University in 2015. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Financial Economics and Mathematics from the University of Rochester.
The Unequal Effects of Air Pollution on Health and Income in Mexico City
Perched 7,300 feet above sea level in a valley wrapped round by mountains and volcanoes, Mexico City has long suffered from thick layers of smog produced by cars, factories, and wildfires. Among the worst hazards of that air pollution for its 21 million inhabitants is PM 2.5, inhalable fine particulate matter. People exposed to PM 2.5 can suffer from coughing, shortness of … [Read more...] about The Unequal Effects of Air Pollution on Health and Income in Mexico City
How Education Protects Workers During Recessions
Education has long been considered a bulwark in hard times. Now new research shows that acquiring additional years of schooling can help prevent people from losing their jobs during economic downturns or recessions. But what makes acquiring education protective? Does it increase productivity? Does it enable workers to work in recession-proof sectors? Or does the economic … [Read more...] about How Education Protects Workers During Recessions
Trust: A Critical Component of the Fight Against Air Pollution
While the COVID-19 pandemic has killed almost five million, more people die every year because of air pollution, which accounts for about one in five deaths worldwide. The problem, moreover, is especially acute in low- and middle-income countries, where exposure to high levels of air pollution affects 90 percent of the population. Given the substantial human and economic costs, … [Read more...] about Trust: A Critical Component of the Fight Against Air Pollution
Do Air Pollution Alerts Work to Change Behavior and Reduce Exposure?
The World Health Organization calls air pollution the number one environmental threat to health in the Americas. More than 60,000 people in Latin America died prematurely from exposure to fine particulate matter and ozone in 2010. And with an increasing number of vehicles on the region's roads, lax or non-existent emissions standards, and more frequent wildfires, the number of … [Read more...] about Do Air Pollution Alerts Work to Change Behavior and Reduce Exposure?