Penn State researchers secure NSF grant to study unintended consequences of decarbonization

September 30, 2021 |

In Pennsylvania, controlling carbon release into the atmosphere will reduce carbon dioxide and slow global warming, but could there be unintended consequences for human health? Now, thanks to a three-year grant of about $400,000 from the National Science Foundation, researchers at Penn State will investigate potential positives and negatives of decarbonization.

The researchers aim to improve understanding of what factors determine the size and scope of health outcomes from decarbonization and to identify strategies most likely to yield overall health benefits.

Focusing on the U.S., the researchers will develop a framework integrating energy, food and health. They will improve health variables in a state-level integrated assessment model and connect it to a fine-resolution, health impact assessment model. They will also develop a large number of scenarios of decarbonization to encompass future uncertainties, technology and markets.

This project is the extension of two seed grants from Penn State’s Institutes of Energy and the Environment and Institute for Computational and Data Sciences.

Category: Research

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