smokestacks is a noxious mix of burnt ash with greenhouse gases and cancer-creating fumes. It may include mercury, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, lead cadmium, arsenic…
As the smog dissipates into the atmosphere some of it returns to the ground. Kids breathe it in where it causes asthma. Our elderly develop cancer.
Yet the worst effects come from the invisible pollution that goes into the air that we never breathe. Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, trap heat in our atmosphere like a smothering blanket. The global impact of billion of tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere causes climate change, heating up our planet and causing a cascade of changing weather patterns.
Small degrees in temperature change are having big impacts. 1.1˚C of warming has already resulted in devastating impacts for people and the planet. According to the latest IPCC report on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, around 3.3 to 3.6 billion people are living highly vulnerable to climate change. As global weather patterns are disturbed, it means a mix of stronger storms bringing more floods (and droughts to other regions!).
Fossil fuels gave us the industrial revolution and powered our electrical systems. But the industry’s that sold us their product also knew about these negative health impacts and their terrifying creation of climate change.
In the 70s, their scientists warned them about climate change. The scientists shared their research with the top leadership of the companies. Did the companies invest in alternative energy? Did they invest in protecting communities from climate change? Did they share their scientists’ warning? Nope.
Fossil fuel companies like Chevron, Exxon, BP and Shell doubled-down. They hid the data. They told us “the science is uncertain.” They increase their rates of pulling fossil fuels out of the ground. Just 20 firms are responsible for one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions.
And those companies have made a huge profit at our expense. In 2022, the five oil majors gained nearly $200billion in profits — but if they had to pay the climate damages from their emissions, it would cost over $8 trillion.
Thankfully, there are alternatives. We have the vision: having picnics outside solar fields built by your community effort.
That’s why we support the rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.