The Unsustainable State: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Inequality, and Human Well-Being in the United States, 1913 to 2017

The Unsustainable State: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Inequality, and Human Well-Being in the United States, 1913 to 2017

A central premise of development strategies is that nations use natural resources, such as fossil fuels, to raise population living standards and enhance well-being. However, research shows that the relationship among human well-being, resource use, and the associated emissions is complex and contex...

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Main Authors: Orla Kelly, Ryan P. Thombs, Andrew Jorgenson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2021-06-01
Series:Socius
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231211020536
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spelling doaj-c299252c9f61467fb7000aac2b4765b52021-06-25T21:34:14ZengSAGE PublishingSocius2378-02312021-06-01710.1177/23780231211020536The Unsustainable State: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Inequality, and Human Well-Being in the United States, 1913 to 2017Orla Kelly0Ryan P. Thombs1Andrew Jorgenson2University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, IrelandBoston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USABoston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USAA central premise of development strategies is that nations use natural resources, such as fossil fuels, to raise population living standards and enhance well-being. However, research shows that the relationship among human well-being, resource use, and the associated emissions is complex and context specific. To better understand if natural resource use plays a historic role in generating human well-being in the United States, the authors conduct a time-series analysis of greenhouse gas emissions and average life expectancy from 1913 to 2017. The results show that increases in greenhouse gas emissions per capita have an instantaneous, negative effect on life expectancy. The authors also find evidence that income inequality has a long-run negative effect on life expectancy. Additional analyses provide mixed results regarding whether and how the effects of emissions on life expectancy are conditional on income inequality. These findings contradict the assumption that reductions in emissions necessitate trade-offs in human well-being in high-income contexts.https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231211020536
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Orla Kelly
Ryan P. Thombs
Andrew Jorgenson
spellingShingle Orla Kelly
Ryan P. Thombs
Andrew Jorgenson
The Unsustainable State: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Inequality, and Human Well-Being in the United States, 1913 to 2017
Socius
author_facet Orla Kelly
Ryan P. Thombs
Andrew Jorgenson
author_sort Orla Kelly
title The Unsustainable State: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Inequality, and Human Well-Being in the United States, 1913 to 2017
title_short The Unsustainable State: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Inequality, and Human Well-Being in the United States, 1913 to 2017
title_full The Unsustainable State: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Inequality, and Human Well-Being in the United States, 1913 to 2017
title_fullStr The Unsustainable State: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Inequality, and Human Well-Being in the United States, 1913 to 2017
title_full_unstemmed The Unsustainable State: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Inequality, and Human Well-Being in the United States, 1913 to 2017
title_sort unsustainable state: greenhouse gas emissions, inequality, and human well-being in the united states, 1913 to 2017
publisher SAGE Publishing
series Socius
issn 2378-0231
publishDate 2021-06-01
description A central premise of development strategies is that nations use natural resources, such as fossil fuels, to raise population living standards and enhance well-being. However, research shows that the relationship among human well-being, resource use, and the associated emissions is complex and context specific. To better understand if natural resource use plays a historic role in generating human well-being in the United States, the authors conduct a time-series analysis of greenhouse gas emissions and average life expectancy from 1913 to 2017. The results show that increases in greenhouse gas emissions per capita have an instantaneous, negative effect on life expectancy. The authors also find evidence that income inequality has a long-run negative effect on life expectancy. Additional analyses provide mixed results regarding whether and how the effects of emissions on life expectancy are conditional on income inequality. These findings contradict the assumption that reductions in emissions necessitate trade-offs in human well-being in high-income contexts.
url https://doi.org/10.1177/23780231211020536
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