Eliminating emissions in India and China could add years to people's lives

The 2.7 billion people who live in China and India—more than a third of the world's population—regularly breath some of the dirtiest air on the planet. Air pollution is one of the largest contributors to death in both countries, ranked 4th in China and 5th in India, and harmful emissions from coal-fired power plants are a major contributing factor.

In a recent study, researchers from Harvard University wanted to know how replacing coal-fired power plants in China and India with clean, renewable energy could benefit human health and save lives in the future. The researchers found that eliminating harmful emissions from power plants could save an estimated annual 15 million years of life in China and 11 million years of life in India.