On: Global pollution kills 9M a year, according to new study

[Retric]

For comparison ~55.3 million people die each year so ~16% of deaths are linked to pollution.

[TheSpiceIsLife → Retric]

I didn't know this, guess I'd never thought to look it up.

If 16% of deaths can be attributed to pollution, and some percentage are vehicle related, accidents in general, preventable disease / infections, etc etc...

How many deaths per year should we expect if all of those things could be reduced / minimised / eliminated?

[xapata → TheSpiceIsLife]

We might find other causes increase. For example, decreasing violent deaths increases mortality from heart disease. After some lag time, of course.

[YokoZar → xapata]

We surely would. But the gains may be more (or less) than you think.

I remember a gerontologist showing some math where if you prevented all heart disease you'd only gain about 4 years of human lifespan (since most of those people would soon get cancer); similarly if you prevented all cancer you'd only get about 4 years as well (since most of those people would get heart disease).

But if you prevented both, you'd get something north of 10 years of average lifespan.