Coal and Gas Operations Globally Endanger Public Health of Over 2bn Individuals, Analysis Shows

One-fourth of the international people lives within 5km of functioning coal, oil, and gas facilities, likely endangering the well-being of exceeding 2bn individuals as well as vital natural habitats, based on first-of-its-kind study.

Worldwide Spread of Coal and Gas Sites

More than 18.3k petroleum, natural gas, and coal mining locations are now distributed throughout over 170 countries around the world, covering a extensive territory of the planet's terrain.

Closeness to extraction sites, refineries, pipelines, and additional fossil fuel operations elevates the risk of malignancies, respiratory conditions, heart disease, early delivery, and death, while also posing grave threats to drinking water and atmospheric purity, and degrading terrain.

Immediate Vicinity Dangers and Planned Expansion

Approximately half a billion people, including 124 million minors, presently dwell less than 0.6 miles of coal and gas operations, while an additional 3.5k or so upcoming projects are presently planned or in progress that could require 135 million additional residents to experience pollutants, burning, and accidents.

The majority of active operations have formed toxic concentrated areas, converting surrounding populations and vital habitats into referred to as sacrifice zones – highly contaminated areas where economically disadvantaged and disadvantaged groups shoulder the disproportionate load of proximity to contaminants.

Health and Natural Effects

The report describes the harmful medical consequences from drilling, refining, and movement, as well as demonstrating how seepages, burning, and building destroy unique natural ecosystems and undermine human rights – notably of those living close to oil, natural gas, and coal mining facilities.

This occurs as international representatives, not including the US – the largest past producer of carbon emissions – assemble in Belém, the South American nation, for the 30th global climate conference amid growing frustration at the slow advancement in phasing out coal, oil, and gas, which are driving environmental breakdown and rights abuses.

"Oil and gas companies and their government backers have claimed for a long time that human development depends on coal, oil, and gas. But it is clear that in the name of financial development, they have in fact promoted profit and earnings unchecked, infringed liberties with near-complete impunity, and damaged the air, ecosystems, and oceans."

Environmental Talks and International Pressure

The climate conference takes place as the Philippines, Mexico, and the Caribbean island are dealing with extreme weather events that were intensified by increased air and sea temperatures, with nations under increasing demand to take firm steps to regulate coal and gas firms and stop mining, government funding, licenses, and demand in order to comply with a landmark judgment by the international court of justice.

In recent days, disclosures showed how in excess of over 5.3k oil and gas sector lobbyists have been given entry to the UN environmental negotiations in the last several years, hindering climate action while their paymasters extract unprecedented amounts of oil and natural gas.

Analysis Approach and Findings

The quantitative study is based on a groundbreaking location-based project by scientists who cross-referenced data on the identified positions of fossil fuel facilities sites with demographic information, and records on essential environments, greenhouse gas outputs, and native communities' areas.

A third of all functioning petroleum, coal, and gas sites intersect with multiple key habitats such as a wetland, woodland, or waterway that is rich in wildlife and critical for CO2 absorption or where natural degradation or disaster could lead to environmental breakdown.

The actual international extent is likely higher due to omissions in the reporting of fossil fuel sites and incomplete census data in countries.

Natural Injustice and Indigenous Peoples

The findings show deep-seated ecological unfairness and racism in proximity to petroleum, gas, and coal industries.

Native communities, who comprise 5% of the international residents, are unfairly subjected to health-reducing fossil fuel operations, with 16% sites situated on Indigenous areas.

"We're experiencing intergenerational resistance weariness … We physically won't survive [this]. We are not the initiators but we have borne the brunt of all the aggression."

The spread of coal, oil, and gas has also been linked with territorial takeovers, cultural pillage, population conflict, and loss of livelihoods, as well as aggression, online threats, and legal actions, both illegal and civil, against community leaders non-violently challenging the development of pipelines, mining sites, and other operations.

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