On March 15,2024, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM, Peking University Institute for Global Health and Development successfully hosted the second session of the Spring 2024 Reading Club. The keynote speaker for this event was PhD student Mingrui Liu from Peking University Institute for Global Health and Development.

The article presented in this event is “ From Fog to Smog: the Value of Pollution Information ”. This article is based on China's landmark air quality monitoring and real-time data disclosure program launched in 2013. This policy has significantly improved public access and awareness of pollution information, triggering a series of chain reactions, such as stronger efforts to avoid outdoor pollution exposure and increased spending on protective products. These behaviors alleviate the negative impact of air pollution on life. According to conservative estimates, the health benefits of this plan exceed the cost by an order of magnitude. These findings emphasize the benefits of improving public access to pollution information in many developing countries, but this article also emphasizes that the benefits of information disclosure do not necessarily mean that it can serve as an alternative measure to address air pollution.

Source：Barwick P J , Li S , Lin L ,et al, 2024. From Fog to Smog: the Value of Pollution Information.  American Economic Review , forthcoming

（By Mingrui Liu）