Fossil fuel pollution is causing disease, disaster, and extinction

The climate crisis no longer lies in the future. It is unfolding now, reshaping lives, ecosystems, and economies with each passing year. Extreme weather, deadly air, rising seas, and shrinking habitats are no longer predictions. They are our reality.

Behind much of this damage stands a powerful engine: fossil fuels. From coal plants to gas flares, fossil fuel use drives the most pressing crises of our time.

A new review published in Oxford Open Climate Change delivers this message with renewed clarity. Scientists from leading institutions have reviewed extensive data and issued a unified warning.

Fossil fuels, they say, are not just damaging the climate. They are fueling health crises, destroying biodiversity, worsening environmental injustice, and choking the planet with plastic and chemical waste.

The United States plays a major role in these challenges. As the largest oil and gas producer, the country drives much of the damage. The review calls for a full shift to clean, renewable energy. This shift must happen rapidly and fairly across all economic sectors.

Extensive harm from burning fossil fuels

“The science can’t be any clearer that fossil fuels are killing us,” said Dr. Shaye Wolf, lead author of the review and climate science director at the Center for Biological Diversity.

“Oil, gas and coal will continue to condemn us to more deaths, wildlife extinctions and extreme weather disasters unless we make dirty fossil fuels a thing of the past. Clean, renewable energy is here, it’s affordable, and it will save millions of lives and trillions of dollars once we make it the centerpiece of our economy.”

Fossil fuels drive about 90% of human-caused carbon emissions. These emissions warm the planet and acidify oceans. They also fuel deadly weather events.

On top of this, fossil fuel pollution causes millions of premature deaths globally every year. In the U.S. alone, hundreds of thousands die early due to air pollution.

The review links climate change to worsening disease spread, food insecurity, and forced migration. These add new layers of suffering, especially in already vulnerable populations.

A call for immediate action

Governments must act now. The scientists call for an end to fossil fuel expansion. Existing fossil fuel projects should be phased out. Only strong, immediate policy action can limit the mounting damages.

“Fossil fuel pollution impacts health at every stage of life, with elevated risks for conditions ranging from premature births to childhood leukemia and severe depression,” said Dr. David J.X. González, assistant professor at UC Berkeley.

“We’ve got to work fast to end fossil fuel operations near our homes, schools and hospitals and trade fossil fuel infrastructure for healthy, clean energy.”

Environmental injustice due to fossil fuels

The report also highlights racial and economic disparities. Communities of color and low-income neighborhoods bear the brunt of fossil fuel pollution. Historic policies like redlining have trapped many in toxic zones.

“Decades of discriminatory policies, such as redlining, have concentrated fossil fuel development in Black, Brown, Indigenous and poor white communities, resulting in devastating consequences,” said Dr. Robin Saha from the University of Montana.

“For far too long, these fenceline communities have been treated as sacrifice zones by greedy, callous industries. The most polluted communities should be prioritized for clean energy investments and removal and cleanup of dirty fossil fuel infrastructure.”

Extinction risks and plastic pollution

Unchecked fossil fuel use could wipe out up to one-third of animal and plant species in the next 50 years.

To protect ecosystems, renewable energy infrastructure must avoid damaging natural habitats. Instead, it should be placed in developed areas whenever possible.

The review also focuses on plastics. Fossil fuel companies ramp up plastic production, increasing pollution across air, water, and food systems. These pollutants harm wildlife and people alike.

The scientists urge bold targets to cut primary plastic production. They also push for alternatives to plastic and more sustainable farming methods. These shifts can reduce petrochemical pollution from pesticides and fertilizers.

Decades of disinformation

A major barrier that stands in the way of progress is industry propaganda.

“The fossil fuel industry has spent decades misleading us about the harms of their products and working to prevent meaningful climate action,” said Naomi Oreskes, professor at Harvard University.

“Perversely, our governments continue to give out hundreds of billions of dollars in subsidies to this damaging industry. It is past time that stops.”

The review ends with a clear message: We have the tools to change course. What’s needed now is political will.

The study is published in the journal Oxford Open Climate Change.

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