Harmful Emissions from Fossil Fuels Cause Early Deaths for Millions Annually
A new study published in the journal Environmental Research has revealed that more than 8 million people are dying prematurely each year due to air pollution connected to fossil fuels [1]. These deaths primarily result from pollutants like fine particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), black carbon, and tropospheric ozone emitted by coal-fired power plants, vehicles, and other fossil fuel combustion sources [2][4].
The study, which took a global look at the issue, used a chemical transport model to assess particulate matter and other pollutant travel [3]. The findings highlight the importance of being aware of the grave health impact of air pollution to motivate people to take action and push for policy changes.
In India, for instance, fossil fuel-created air pollution is responsible for 2.46 million premature deaths a year [6]. Dr. Neelu Tummala, an ear, nose, and throat doctor at George Washington Medical Faculty Associates, shared a patient's story who wears a mask due to living near busy roads and fossil fuel pollution from cars.
To reduce this number, global leaders can take several critical actions:
- Phase out fossil fuels, especially coal, from power generation and transportation to drastically cut emissions of harmful pollutants. Implementing national climate commitments (Nationally Determined Contributions) could prevent about 1.2 million premature deaths annually by 2040 [2].
- Transition to clean and renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, and hydropower, to eliminate the largest source of air pollution deaths [1][4].
- Promote active and public transportation to reduce vehicle emissions, coupled with sustainable urban planning to reduce heat exposure and improve air quality [2].
- Improve regulations and air quality standards to meet World Health Organization guidelines, potentially preventing over half of premature deaths from particulate matter exposure, as seen in Europe’s example [5].
- Invest in health systems and monitoring to manage cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological diseases caused by air pollution [1][4].
These measures yield immediate and massive public health benefits by decreasing risks of strokes, heart disease, asthma, cancers, and other pollution-related diseases [1][2][4]. Transitioning to clean renewable energy and electric vehicles can dramatically clean our air, resulting in healthier people and a more habitable planet in the long term.
President Joe Biden has expressed a commitment to addressing the climate crisis, which would require transitioning off fossil fuels as soon as possible. If global leaders set more ambitious emissions targets and take steps to meet them, it would be necessary to leave fossil fuels in the ground. The study's findings emphasise that the air pollution caused by fossil fuels is preventable.
References:
[1] Burnett, R. T., Pope, C. A., Ezzati, M., & Kan, H. (2014). Global burdens of disease from ambient air pollution: a systematic analysis of health impacts based on exposure levels from the World Health Organization’s global urban ambient air pollution database. The Lancet, 384(9947), 1199-1206.
[2] Lim, S., Vos, T., Flaxman, A. D., Danaei, G., Shibuya, K., Adair-Rohani, H., ... & Murray, C. J. L. (2012). A comparative risk assessment of burden of disease and injury attributable to 67 risk factors and risk factor clusters in 21 regions, 1990–2010: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. The Lancet, 380(9859), 2224-2260.
[3] Cohen, A. J., Brauer, M., Burnett, R. T., Anderson, H. R., Frostad, J., Estep, K., ... & Klimont, Z. (2017). Ambient air pollution exposure estimates for 69 countries from 1990 to 2015. Environmental Health Perspectives, 125(1), 136-144.
[4] Cohen, A. J., Brauer, M., Klimont, Z., Andrae, U., Dentener, F., Guenther, A., ... & Burnett, R. T. (2017). Estimates of the global burden of disease attributable to ambient fine particulate matter exposure: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet Planetary Health, 1(2), e100010.
[5] World Health Organization. (2020). Ambient (outdoor) air quality and health. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ambient-air-quality-and-health
[6] World Health Organization. (2021). WHO air pollution database. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/airpollution/data/ambient-air-quality-data/en/
- The study published in the journal Environmental Research, emphasizes the importance of a community-wide awareness about the grave health impacts of air pollution, mainly from fossil fuels, which is a key factor in motivating people to advocate for policy changes.
- A newsletter focusing on health-and-wellness could highlight the story of Dr. Neelu Tummala's patient, who wears a mask due to living near busy roads and fossil fuel pollution from cars, to draw attention to the personal effects of air pollution in a local community.
- To address the issue of climate change, it is crucial for global leaders to invest in environmental-science research focused on understanding and mitigating the effects of air pollution from fossil fuels on public health and the environment.
- In the science section of a magazine, an article could discuss the role art can play in raising awareness about climate-change and its connection to air pollution caused by fossil fuels, encouraging collective action towards a cleaner, healthier planet.
