Planetary Health Research Digest

India receives more than 70% of its electricity from coal-fired generation, which results in widespread air pollution in parts of the country. Although the effects of this poor air quality on human health have been well documented, and it has been shown to negatively impact crop productivity as well, crop yield losses resulting from coal emissions have never been quantified. In a new study, Kirat Singh (Stanford University, CA, USA) and colleagues estimate rice and wheat crop losses from coal generation's nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions.