Up in Smoke: The Influence of Household Behavior on the Long-Run Impact of Improved Cooking Stoves
Author(s)
Rema, Hanna; Greenstone, Michael; Duflo, Esther
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Laboratory studies suggest that improved cooking stoves can reduce indoor air pollution, improve health, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. We provide evidence, from a large-scale randomized trial in India, on the benefits of a common, laboratory-validated stove with a four-year follow-up. While smoke inhalation initially falls, this effect disappears by year two. We find no changes across health outcomes or greenhouse gas emissions. Households used the stoves irregularly and inappropriately, failed to maintain them, and usage declined over time. This study underscores the need to test environmental technologies in real-world settings where behavior may undermine potential impacts.
Date issued
2016-02Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of EconomicsJournal
American Economic Journal: Economic Policy
Publisher
American Economic Association (AEA)
Citation
"Up in Smoke: The Influence of Household Behavior on the Long-Run Impact of Improved Cooking Stoves." American Economic Journal: Economic Policy 8;1 (February 2016), pp.80-114. ©2016 American Economic Association.
Version: Final published version
ISSN
1945-7731
1945-774X