Fossil Fuel Sites Around the World Endanger Health of 2 Billion Residents, Study Reveals

A quarter of the global people resides inside three miles of functioning coal, oil, and gas projects, potentially risking the physical condition of over two billion people as well as essential ecosystems, based on pioneering analysis.

Global Presence of Coal and Gas Sites

More than 18.3k oil, natural gas, and coal mining sites are currently spread in one hundred seventy nations globally, occupying a vast territory of the planet's terrain.

Proximity to drilling wells, refineries, conduits, and further oil and gas installations raises the danger of malignancies, lung diseases, cardiac problems, early delivery, and mortality, while also causing grave risks to water sources and atmospheric purity, and degrading soil.

Nearby Residence Hazards and Planned Development

Nearly over 460 million residents, encompassing over 120 million youth, presently reside less than 1km of oil and gas sites, while an additional three thousand five hundred or so upcoming facilities are now proposed or under development that could force 135 million more people to experience pollutants, gas flares, and leaks.

The majority of operational sites have formed toxic zones, transforming adjacent populations and critical habitats into referred to as disposable areas – severely contaminated areas where poor and marginalized populations bear the unfair weight of contact to contaminants.

Medical and Natural Consequences

The study details the devastating health consequences from drilling, refining, and shipping, as well as illustrating how seepages, flares, and building damage irreplaceable environmental habitats and undermine civil liberties – especially of those dwelling in proximity to oil, gas, and coal mining facilities.

It comes as global delegates, excluding the US – the biggest long-term producer of greenhouse gases – assemble in Belém, the South American nation, for the 30th climate negotiations in the context of growing concern at the lack of progress in eliminating coal, oil, and gas, which are causing global ecological crisis and civil liberties infringements.

"Oil and gas companies and its government backers have claimed for decades that economic growth depends on oil, gas, and coal. But we know that in the name of economic growth, they have instead favored self-interest and revenues without limits, violated liberties with almost total immunity, and damaged the air, biosphere, and oceans."

Climate Negotiations and Global Urgency

The climate conference occurs as the Philippines, Mexico, and Jamaica are dealing with extreme weather events that were strengthened by warmer air and ocean heat levels, with countries under mounting pressure to take decisive action to control coal and gas companies and stop mining, financial support, licenses, and use in order to adhere to a landmark decision by the world court.

Recently, reports showed how more than over 5.3k oil and gas sector lobbyists have been granted access to the international global conferences in the last several years, blocking environmental measures while their employers pump record volumes of petroleum and natural gas.

Analysis Approach and Results

The statistical research is founded on a groundbreaking mapping effort by experts who analyzed data on the known sites of oil and gas facilities locations with census data, and records on vital ecosystems, climate releases, and tribal territories.

One-third of all functioning oil, coal, and gas facilities intersect with one or more critical environments such as a wetland, forest, or aquatic network that is rich in species diversity and critical for CO2 absorption or where environmental deterioration or disaster could lead to ecosystem collapse.

The actual international extent is likely greater due to omissions in the reporting of coal and gas sites and limited population data across nations.

Natural Inequality and Indigenous Communities

The results demonstrate long-standing environmental unfairness and racism in proximity to petroleum, gas, and coal mining sectors.

Native communities, who represent 5% of the global residents, are unfairly subjected to dangerous oil and gas operations, with one in six locations located on native lands.

"We face multi-generational struggle exhaustion … Our bodies will not withstand [this]. We were never the instigators but we have endured the impact of all the violence."

The growth of oil, gas, and coal has also been associated with property seizures, traditional loss, community division, and loss of livelihoods, as well as force, internet intimidation, and legal actions, both illegal and non-criminal, against local representatives calmly opposing the development of conduits, drilling projects, and further operations.

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