New Research: Mining away the Preston Curve

New research from Ryan B. Edwards at the Australian National University,

Mining away the Preston Curve

Abstract:

I estimate the long-term national health and education impacts of mining, with causal
effects identified by historical geological variation in fossil fuel endowments. Countries
with more mining tend to have poorer health and education outcomes than those with
similar per capita incomes, geographic characteristics, and institutional quality. Divergences from the “Preston curves” for health and education can be explained by the size of the mining sector. Income from sectors other than mining tends to deliver better social outcomes and the socioeconomic costs of forgoing future fossil fuel extraction are likely to be overstated.