ELSEVIER Ecological Economics 22 (1997) 19 27 ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS METHODS Economic structure, fuel combustion, and pollution emissions Stephen D. Casler a,,, Peter D. Blair b " Department of Economics, Alleghe~o' College, Meadt'ille, PA 16335, USA b O]fie e OJ" Technology Assessment, Washington, DC 20003, USA Received 3 April 1996; accepted 16 October 1996 Abstract Pollution intensities measure total emissions per dollar of output for the producing sectors of the economy. This paper presents a methodology for calculating such intensities, which maintains the link between combustion of specific fuels and sectoral pollution emissions. The theoretical attributes of this approach are compared to the widely used direct impact coefficient technique. Estimates based on 1985 data are provided for particulates, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, lead, and carbon dioxide. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. Keywords: Pollution intensities; Economy; Combustion; Particulates; Lead 1. Introduction Concern continues to mount among many sci- entists and policy makers over the impact of air pollution on acid rainfall, ozone depletion, and global climate change. Many pollution emissions result from economic activity, and interrelations among industries significantly affect their nature and magnitude. A demand for automobiles gener- ates pollution not only at the auto-assembly plant, but also at the tire factory and the steel * Corresponding author. mill. Moreover, changes in supply and demand relationships among industries, such as through a change in technology or the trade balance with other regions or nations, can mitigate or exacer- bate emissions in ways that are difficult to predict. A change in producing steel from blast furnaces to electric arc furnaces may increase total air pollution if electricity is generated from coal. Hence, to properly inform policy analysis, a mea- sure of direct as well as indirect industrial pollu- tion emissions is required. Assessing the implications of interindustry transactions requires both dollar and pollution- 0921-8009/97/$17.00 © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Pll S0921-8009(96)0055 l-4