More warnings: Fossil fuels are causing climate, health, and biodiversity crises

Fossil fuels are stoking up a web of crises that hurt both people and the planet, according to a recent review. Though the problem spans the globe, the United States – being the world’s top oil and gas producer – plays a central role.

As experts pointed, coal, oil, and gas aren’t just driving the climate crisis; they’re also harming our health, widening social inequalities, devastating wildlife, and contributing to massive plastics and agrochemical pollution. 

The authors also provide practical ways to phase out fossil fuels fairly and swiftly, and replace them with clean energy and safer materials.

Fossil fuels and a warming world

One of the review’s core points is that fossil fuels make up roughly 90% of all human-caused carbon dioxide emissions.

Those emissions trap heat, warm the planet, and fuel record-breaking weather disasters like hurricanes, droughts, and heatwaves. 

Lead author Shaye Wolf from the Center for Biological Diversity, calls for a fast shift away from dirty energy.

“Fossil fuels are killing us,” she said. “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.”

The scientific consensus is clear: if we keep burning fossil fuels at the current rate, we’re locking ourselves into ever-worsening climate chaos.

Fossil fuels cause deadly pollution

The review highlights how burning coal, oil, and gas leads to air pollution that causes millions of premature deaths each year, including hundreds of thousands in the United States alone.

It’s not just about breathing difficulties or lung disease. Climate change, propelled by these emissions, amplifies extreme weather, spreads disease, and threatens food and water supplies. 

Researchers argue that governments should halt new fossil fuel projects and begin winding down existing ones.

According to David J.X. González at UC Berkeley, “fossil fuel pollution impacts health at every stage of life,” from pregnancy complications to mental health issues.

Because of this, swapping out fossil fuel operations near schools, homes, and hospitals with clean energy infrastructure is an urgent step.

Unequal burdens and injustice

While everyone feels the effects of climate change, some communities suffer more than others. Neighborhoods adjacent to oil refineries or power plants – sometimes called “fenceline communities” – are often made up of low-income residents or people of color. 

Past policies, such as redlining, trapped these communities near toxic sites. Robin Saha from the University of Montana, argues that these areas have long been treated as “sacrifice zones.”

But clean energy investments can reverse this trend. By prioritizing pollution cleanup and safer infrastructure in these vulnerable places, society can correct decades of injustice and improve public health.

Fossil fuels drive animal extinction

It’s not only humans who are in danger. Scientists predict that if fossil fuel consumption continues unchecked, we could lose up to one-third of all animal and plant species in the next 50 years. 

The review emphasizes protecting carbon-rich habitats like forests and wetlands, which help slow climate change while giving wildlife a fighting chance. Yet solar and wind projects should be carefully sited to avoid damaging sensitive ecosystems.

The authors argue that a rapid shift to green energy can happen in a way that respects natural habitats and prevents further species loss.

Plastics, chemicals, and more pollution

An overlooked part of the fossil fuel story involves plastics. Oil and gas serve as the feedstock for plastics that taint our air, water, soil, and food systems.

Microplastics are now found in everything from sea turtles to human blood and placentas. 

On top of that, chemical-heavy fertilizers and pesticides made from petrochemicals wreak havoc on farmland, pollute waterways, and raise health concerns.

The review suggests cutting back plastic production, removing hazardous chemicals, and encouraging farming methods that rely less on fossil-fuel-derived inputs.

Industry obstruction and political barriers

The fossil fuel industry’s longtime disinformation campaign is another hurdle. Naomi Oreskes, a professor at Harvard University, notes that major oil and gas companies have spent decades sowing doubt about climate science while collecting generous government subsidies. 

The authors stress that ending these subsidies and redirecting public money to renewable energy and efficiency upgrades is vital to driving real change.

They argue that time spent denying or delaying climate action translates to more harm for communities worldwide.

In the end, the review delivers a straightforward message: we can’t solve the climate crisis, protect human health, or save wildlife unless we break our dependence on fossil fuels.

That means putting a stop to new extraction, dismantling existing operations, and ensuring that low-income and minority communities – who’ve borne the brunt of pollution – benefit first from clean energy. 

It also means placing real protections on forests, wetlands, and other habitats that store carbon and shelter biodiversity.

Finally, the authors maintain that honest conversations and strong political resolve can pave the way to a future that is powered by renewables, one where people aren’t forced to trade away their health or the planet’s well-being just to keep the lights on.

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

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