An Analysis of Environmental and Economic Impacts of Fossil Fuel Production in the U.S. from 2001 to 2015

Feng Hao, Bethany L. Brown

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The production and burning of fossil fuels is the primary contributor to CO 2 emissions for the U.S. We assess the impact of producing coal, crude oil, and natural gas on the environment and economic well-being by analyzing state-level data from 2001 to 2015. Our findings show that coal production has led to more CO 2 emissions and no significant benefit to economic well-being. Crude oil production has a non-significant impact on CO 2 emissions but is related to a lower poverty rate, a higher median household income, and a higher employment rate. Natural gas withdrawals have a positive impact on median household income. We discuss these findings in the context of current U.S. energy policies and then provide directions for future research.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalSociety & Natural Resources
Volume32
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2019

Keywords

  • CO2 emissions
  • economic well-being
  • fossil fuels
  • natural resources-environmental sociology

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