From Womb to Grace, Fossil Fuels Harming Humans

A new global report from the Global Climate and Health Alliance warns that fossil fuels are a serious threat to human health at every stage of life, from before birth to old age.

Research shows that living near coal mines, oil extraction sites, or fracking areas increases risks of miscarriages, birth defects, and premature births.

Children exposed to air pollution from burning fossil fuels face higher rates of asthma, bronchitis, leukemia, and other cancers.

In adults, long-term exposure is linked to strokes, heart disease, dementia, and early death.

The report highlights additional risks from fossil fuel transport, such as pipeline leaks and oil spills, and from chemicals left in soil, water, and food, including lead, mercury, and PFAS.

Extreme weather events made worse by climate change, like wildfires and hurricanes, further compound health impacts.

Local health workers in India and other countries report families struggling with multiple illnesses, illustrating the disproportionate burden on vulnerable and marginalized communities.

Author Shweta Narayan called fossil fuels “a direct assault on health,” while Christiana Figueres, former UN climate chief, said the “age of fossil fuels has poisoned our air, broken health, and fractured dignity.”

The alliance urges governments to halt new fossil fuel projects, end subsidies totaling $7 trillion globally in 2022, and accelerate a transition to renewable energy before the COP30 UN climate conference.