How tackling emissions, air pollution could impact Wisconsinites’ health | News

MADISON (WKOW) — From cars on the road to coal-fired power plants, many things generate greenhouse gases and air pollutants. When people breathe in that air, it affects their health.

If Wisconsin addresses that pollution, transitions to using clean energy and reaches net zero emissions, people who live in the Badger State stand to see some major health benefits, according to a new climate report. 

“By reducing those inputs to the air we breathe, we save thousands, maybe tens of thousands of lives,” Dr. Bruce Barrett said. “Patients will have fewer episodes of exacerbations of their diseases, and fewer people will develop new diseases in the research area.”

Barrett is a family physician and a professor in UW-Madison’s Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. 

Researchers said the transition to net zero emissions by 2050 would save 28 to 63 deaths per million people every year. It would also reduce hospital admissions and lessen the number of sick days people have to take from work. 

“Breathing cleaner air results in fewer heart attacks, fewer strokes, less lung cancer, less chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,” Barrett said. “It’s primarily the heart and lung diseases triggered by air pollution.”

In addition to seeing better health, researchers said decarbonization would also help people’s wallets. 

The report said if Wisconsin transitions to net zero emissions, everyone in the state will save $255-$275 every year in healthcare-related costs by 2030. Those savings add up. 

“By reducing major particulate air pollutants in transitioning to net zero, Wisconsin will save its residents $2-$4.4 billion in 2050 in avoided health costs,” the report said. 

Researchers said the benefits of transitioning to net zero emissions aren’t related to people’s health. Wisconsin would also see an economic boost.