Air pollution from fossil fuel use is killing 5 million people worldwide every year, a death toll much higher than previously estimated, according to the largest study of its kind.

The stark figures, published on the eve of the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai, will increase pressure on world leaders to take action. Among the decisions they must make at the UN conference will be whether to agree, for the first time, to gradually “phase out” fossil fuels.

 

Research has shown that switching from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy sources would save many lives from air pollution and help combat global heating. However, until now, mortality estimates have varied widely.

A new modelling study suggests air pollution, from the use of fossil fuels in industry, power generation, and transportation, accounts for 5.1 million avoidable deaths a year globally. These findings were published in The BMJ.

The contribution of fossil fuels equates to 61% of a total estimated 8.3 million deaths worldwide due to outdoor air pollution from all sources in 2019.

The new estimates of fossil fuel-related deaths are larger than most previously reported values, suggesting that phasing out fossil fuels might have a greater impact on attributable mortality than previously thought.

 

FULL STORY

 

Worth mentioning that if fossil fuel was banned tomorrow, many more millions would starve as fossil fuel is used to grow the food and transport it throughout the world. There is now and any time soon no alternative to using fossil fuel for farming and transport.

I hope the greens enjoy living without electricity or heating.

Fast food probably kills more than that

Another study pointing out the obvious.  Kind of useless when politicians & govts don't do anything since controlled by the FF conglomerates.

 

Nothing they haven't known for decades.  They could simply start with banning diesel fuel for personal vehicles.   Since that has a direct effect on more than a few health issues. 

 

 

7 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I hope the greens enjoy living without electricity or heating.

I hope you enjoy living in the 20th century.

19 hours ago, KhunLA said:

They could simply start with banning diesel fuel for personal vehicles.

Is that right now, in which case they must compensate the owners at a cost of billions of taxpayer $, or for new diesel cars, in which case the millions of existing diesel cars will be around for decades?