Abstract
Until recently, North America and Europe dominated the use of fossil fuels, resulting in strong carbon dioxide emissions and global warming [1]. The fossil energy-related CO2 release per capita in Asia is nearly an order of magnitude smaller than in North America and Europe [2]. However, Asia is catching up. About half of the world’s population lives in South and East Asia, and hence the potential for growing pollutant emissions is large. In China, many pollution sources reduce air quality [3–5]. In rural residential areas, notably in India, the burning of biofuels, such as wood, dung, and agricultural waste, is a major source of pollutants [6]. In urban areas, the increasing energy demand for industry and transport propels fossil fuel utilization [7].