The cost of powering our economies with coal, oil and gas is much more than the escalating price of a gallon of gasoline. These fuels cause catastrophic human suffering. Their air pollution alone causes more than 8 million premature deaths annually . Their greenhouse gas emissions trap heat in the atmosphere which increases temperatures. Hotter temperatures cause polar ice to melt and sea water to expand, which floods coastal communities. Hotter air sucks moisture from land, creating droughts and rendering forests tinder for wildfires. Warmer air holds more water, which creates precipitation events so torrential they are called “atmospheric rivers.” The annual economic and societal costs to nations from burning fossil fuels is now in the trillions of dollars . No two ways about it: fossil fuels suck!
To be fair, there’s no question that cheap abundant fossil fuels powered the Industrial Revolution and improved the livelihoods of people around the world. Initially, the environmental and health impacts of burning these fuels appeared insignificant. But now we know their dark side, and it’s ominous. The human suffering they cause is unjustifiable. The damage they make to our planetary home is becoming irreversible.
Scientists working at fossil-fuel companies were among the first to understand the dangers, yet this industry has done all it can to protect its business model through denying climate science , obfuscating the problem, and delaying the transition to clean energy alternatives. Out of greed and the quest for power, this industry and their political allies have deceived us. Societies have unwittingly allowed these life-destroying fuels to imperil the future of humanity.