MIT: Air pollution Causes 200,000 Early Deaths per Year in the US

A new report out from MIT's Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment finds the health impact of air pollution (all of it from fossil fuel burning) is even higher than previously believed:

The group tracked ground-level emissions from sources such as industrial smokestacks, vehicle tailpipes, marine and rail operations, and commercial and residential heating throughout the United States, and found that such air pollution causes about 200,000 early deaths each year. Emissions from road transportation are the most significant contributor, causing 53,000 premature deaths, followed closely by power generation, with 52,000.

They also mapped the concentration of fine particulate air polluation across the country from different sources, and in total, showing that it's predominantly concentrated east of the Mississipi:

via Study: Air pollution causes 200,000 early deaths each year in the U.S. – MIT News Office.