Why Does Chile Have Such Bad Air Pollution?
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Chile\\xa0is one of the most air polluted countries in the world. This is partly a matter of geography \\xa0-- many cities are in valleys that trap pollution. But it is also the consequence of how many Chileans heat their homes. Wood burning home heat stoves are very common in much of\\xa0Chile, and these stoves burn dirty and emit harmful pollution.\\xa0
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My guest today, Carlos Chavez, is professor of economics at the School of Business and Economics\\xa0at Universdad\\xa0de\\xa0Talca in Central\\xa0Chile. His research has focused on the use of\\xa0wood burning heating stoves in\\xa0chile\\xa0and government policies that could reduce the prevalence\\xa0of wood burning stoves and improve air quality.
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In our conversation we discuss why so many people in\\xa0Chile\\xa0heat their homes this way and how he was able to create a research project that suggests some effective policy remedies.\\xa0
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Chile\\xa0is a higher\\xa0income country, yet the way that many households create energy by burning wood is something far more common in poorer countries -- it is generally not associated with countries at\\xa0Chile\'s level of wealth.\\xa0 This makes\\xa0Chile\\xa0an interesting case study that I am glad to bring you today.\\xa0
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This episode is part of a series of episodes\\xa0 that showcase the research and work of the Sustainable Energy Transitions Initiative. SETI is an interdisciplinary global collaborative that aims to foster research on energy access and energy transitions in low and middle-income countries. Currently, SETI is housed at Duke University, where it is led by Professors Subhrendu Pattanayak and Marc Jeuland. To learn more about SETI, follow them on Twitter @SETIenergy.
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