Fossil fuels threaten billions of people

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Amnesty International is urging world leaders to stop the energy obsession that is fuelling the climate crisis in a new report. At least two billion people, a quarter of the world’s population, live within five kilometres of more than 18,000 fossil fuel infrastructure sites, it has been found. A further 3,500 new sites are under construction, affecting a further 135 million people.

The ever-expanding industry is endangering billions of people, irreversibly altering the climate system and destroying natural ecosystems. This was highlighted at the UN climate conference COP30. There is evidence that living near fossil fuel infrastructure is associated with an increased risk of cancer, asthma, cardiovascular disease and other health problems.

The industry is also linked to human rights abuses, including murders and enforced disappearances, particularly of environmental activists and indigenous peoples defending their lands from fossil fuel projects. At least 16 percent of global infrastructure is located on indigenous lands around the world.

All the findings were presented at the COP conference to warn the scientific community about the enormous damage that the obsession with fossil fuels is causing to many people. The age of fossil fuels must end soon, otherwise the changes will be irreversible.

Although countries have pledged to address the climate crisis, observers question how they plan to meet their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while fossil fuel projects continue to expand.

Kumi Naidoo, president of the Campaign for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, called on world leaders to leave COP30 with a clear statement that they will support a plan to phase out fossil fuels.

According to the United Nations, coal, oil and natural gas are the biggest contributors to global climate change, accounting for 68 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. According to a 2024 survey by the United Nations Development Programme, more than eighty percent of people want their leaders to take stronger action to mitigate the climate crisis. The survey also found that 72 percent of people support a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels.

Source: Aljazeera, Editorial Weathersunshine.com