Data and Code for Energy Saving May Kill: Evidence from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Guojun He, The University of Hong Kong; Takanao Tanaka, University of California-Berkeley

Version: View help for Version V1

Name	File Type	Size	Last Modified
appendix_figures			05/31/2022 03:25:AM
appendix_tables			09/20/2022 08:49:PM
code			07/16/2022 06:12:AM
data			09/20/2022 09:34:PM
figures			05/31/2022 03:35:AM
reference			05/31/2022 03:21:AM
tables			05/31/2022 03:19:AM
Fukushima_Appendix2_README.pdf	application/pdf	518.5 KB	07/16/2022 02:14:AM

Project Citation:

He, Guojun, and Tanaka, Takanao. Data and Code for Energy Saving May Kill: Evidence from the Fukushima Nuclear Accident. Nashville, TN: American Economic Association [publisher], 2023. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-03-10. https://doi.org/10.3886/E170502V1

Project Description

Summary: Abstract: Following the Fukushima nuclear accident, Japan gradually shut down all its nuclear power plants, causing a countrywide power shortage. In response, the government launched large-scale energy-saving campaigns to reduce electricity consumption. Exploiting the electricity-saving targets across regions and over time, we show that the campaigns significantly increased mortality, particularly during extremely hot days. The impact is primarily driven by people using less air conditioning, as encouraged by the government. Nonpecuniary incentives can explain most of the reduction in electricity consumption. Our findings suggest there exists a trade-off between climate change mitigation and climate change adaptation.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: economics; environmental policy; public policy; public health

JEL Classification:
      I18 Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
      O12 Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
      Q48 Energy: Government Policy
      Q54 Climate; Natural Disasters and Their Management; Global Warming

Geographic Coverage: Japan

Time Period(s): 1999 – 2015

Collection Date(s): 1/2018 – 2/2022

Universe: Mortality and temperature data are based on all the Japanese populations

Data Type(s): administrative records data; aggregate data

Methodology

Data Source: See README

Unit(s) of Observation: Prefecture-by-year-month-by-age

Geographic Unit: Prefecture

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Published Versions

V1 [2023-03-10]

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