Thursday, January 26, 2023
Change Oracle Logo
  • Climate Change
    • Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    • Biodiversity
    • Wildfires
    • Extreme Weather
  • Energy
    • Renewables
    • Nuclear Power
    • Fossil Fuels
  • Politics
    • American Politics
    • Canadian Politics
    • International Politics
  • Social Change
    • Activism
    • Disinformation
    • Education
    • Psychology
    • Gender Equality
  • Business and Economics
    • Leadership
    • Decarbonization
    • Economics
    • Supply Chains
    • Investing
  • Technology
    • Carbon Removal
    • Carbon Capture
    • Transportation
    • Buildings
    • Food
No Result
View All Result
  • Climate Change
    • Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    • Biodiversity
    • Wildfires
    • Extreme Weather
  • Energy
    • Renewables
    • Nuclear Power
    • Fossil Fuels
  • Politics
    • American Politics
    • Canadian Politics
    • International Politics
  • Social Change
    • Activism
    • Disinformation
    • Education
    • Psychology
    • Gender Equality
  • Business and Economics
    • Leadership
    • Decarbonization
    • Economics
    • Supply Chains
    • Investing
  • Technology
    • Carbon Removal
    • Carbon Capture
    • Transportation
    • Buildings
    • Food
No Result
View All Result
Change Oracle Logo
No Result
View All Result
Home Energy Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels Kill Millions Every Year

by Richard Matthews
March 29, 2021
in Fossil Fuels
0

Fossil fuels are deadly, both in terms of the air pollution they generate and the climate impacts they augur. Fine particulate matter from the burning of fossil fuels is responsible for millions of deaths each year and climate change imperils hundreds of millions more. 

Reports have been circulating about the deadly link between fossil fuels and air pollution for years. A 2012 study concluded that air pollution from fossil fuels was contributing to the deaths of more than 5 million people every year. The most recent data suggests the mortality rate from fossil fuel pollution is more than twice previous estimates. A recent study published in the journal Environmental Research estimates that in 2012 more than 10 million deaths can be attributed to fossil fuel pollution. To underscore the clear linear relationship between fossil fuel pollution and mortality, the reduction in fossil fuel use in 2018 resulted in a commensurate reduction in mortality (8.7 million deaths or 1.4 million less than in 2012).  

“The burning of fossil fuels – especially coal, petrol, and diesel – is a major source of airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and a key contributor to the global burden of mortality and disease,”  the study said. 

The fossil fuel industry is expected to be far more lethal as the key driver of global warming.  Climate change makes us sick both physically and mentally. It is linked to deadly extreme weather as well as disease and death from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea, and heat stress.  Two decades ago the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 150,000 people were dying each year because of climate change.  In 2014 the WHO conservatively estimated that by 2030 more than a quarter of a million people will die each year because of climate.  The report indicated that climate change-related food shortages alone could cause more than half a million deaths by 2050.  It also said that by 2030 climate change could make more than 100 million people more vulnerable to health concerns associated with poverty.  In addition to the very significant economic damage a Climate Impact Lab working paper suggests that if left unchecked by 2100, climate change will kill more people than the sum of all the infectious diseases around the world. 

It is hard to escape the conclusion that we must radically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. This requires the coordinated involvement of national and subnational governments. As stated in a 2018 IPCC report governments are an essential part of the energy transition process.

Despite progress on small particulate air pollution from fossil fuels in China and the U.S.,the Trump administration worked tenaciously to advance the interests of the fossil fuel industry while simultaneously undermining renewable energy  They also eliminated environmental protections including pollution regulations that save lives. It is important to point out that although the situation was exacerbated by the former administration, Republicans have been colluding with the fossil fuel industry to prevent climate action for decades.   

However, polls suggest that the GOP is at odds with prevailing attitudes. A Wall Street Journal 24/7 poll indicates that fossil fuels are the most hated industry in the U.S.  Banks are slowly moving away from fossil fuels and influential investors have declared the end of fossil fuels as market forces make it all but inevitable that we will transition away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy. When considered in consort with the global fossil fuel divestment movement and the actions of governments around the world, there is reason to believe that we may do what needs to be done. In the U.S. the Biden administration has announced a raft of policy objectives designed to reduce pollution associated with fossil fuels. Similar decarbonization pledges in Europe, the UK, and China also suggest that we know what needs to be done.   

We have lived through a decade from hell on the road to ruin. The wanton destruction of the natural world puts us on a perilous path. We have been warned, we are teetering on the cusp of the collapse of civilization. There is much we can learn from recent events, including the COVID-19 pandemic. These events may very well prove to be catalysts for change.  

To reduce mortality both now and in the future we must replace fossil fuels with clean sources of energy. This was the central issue at the UN Climate Ambition Summit at the end of 2020. The urgency of the need to expedite this energy transition cannot be overstated.  We are running out of time to act and future generations are depending on our ability to expedite the end of fossil fuels.

Related

  • We are on the Cusp of the End of Civilization
  • Climate Change has Potentially Catastrophic Impacts
  • Climate Change Makes Us Sick both Physically and Mentally
  • Managing Eco-Anxiety and Grief through Action/
  • The Psychotherapeutic Benefits of Nature

ShareTweetShare
Previous Post

Reversing Nature Loss is Everyone’s Business – Earth Hour 2021

Next Post

Disinformation: Deception that Delayed Climate Action

Related Posts

fossil fuels pollute our politics with disinformation

Fossil Fuel Pollution: Disinformation and Political Corruption

by Richard Matthews
October 6, 2021
0

The fossil fuel industry is the primary driver of climate change, they pollute the air we breathe and the water we drink, they also subvert democracy and deceive people with...

the xl keystone pipeline is dead

Keystone XL Pipeline Finally Cancelled and Others Will Follow

by Richard Matthews
June 15, 2021
0

The  Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline is dead. This is yet another signal that we are witnessing the beginning of the end of fossil fuels. In the last decade, KXL has died and...

fossil fuel's future is grim as activist investors and the courts demand climate action

Big Oil’s Future Grim as Activist Investors and the Courts Demand Climate Action

by Richard Matthews
June 3, 2021
0

The ground underneath the fossil fuel industry is shifting. Shareholders and the courts are challenging some of the world's biggest oil and gas companies for failing to act on climate...

Next Post

Disinformation: Deception that Delayed Climate Action

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • SoundCloud

Subscribe to the Blog

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

change oracle will explore the fundamental unworkability of capitalism
Economics

Confessions of a former capitalist: The journey that made me an advocate of radical change

by Richard Matthews
January 11, 2023
2

Almost ten years ago, journalist and author Naomi Klein asked me whether capitalism can be sustainable. I responded by citing a mountain...

Read more

A Peace Pact with Nature Secured at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal (COP15)

December 29, 2022

Historic Progress on Climate Finance at COP27

December 19, 2022
3 decades of conference of the parties

Three Decades of UN Climate Change Conferences

December 12, 2022

How 3 Carbon Removal Technologies Work Together to Mitigate Emissions

November 3, 2022
  • About
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Business and Economics
  • Politics
  • Technology
  • Social Change
  • Events
  • Other

© 2021 Copyright The Green Market Oracle.

No Result
View All Result
  • Business and Economics
    • Leadership
    • Supply Chains
  • Economics
  • Energy
    • Renewables
    • Nuclear Power
    • Fossil Fuels
  • Climate Change
    • Greenhouse Gas Emissions
    • Biodiversity
    • Extreme Weather
    • Wildfires
  • Investing
  • Politics
    • American Politics
    • Canadian Politics
    • International Politics
  • Technology
    • Buildings
    • Carbon Capture
    • Food
    • Transportation
  • Social Change
    • Education
    • Activism
    • Psychology

© 2021 Copyright The Green Market Oracle.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In