Burning fossil fuels is devastating to more than the environment. Recent studies emphasize the damage that these dirty fuels have on human health and the massive cost associated with that.

What's happening?

Science-Based Medicine reported on several studies that show the health impact of burning fossil fuels and releasing gases, just as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide, into the atmosphere.

One study found that hospital admissions dropped suddenly after the closure of a coal-burning plant near Pittsburgh. Immediately after it closed, the local emergency department saw a 20% decrease in weekly respiratory visits and a 41% drop in pediatric asthma visits. For three years after the plant closed, those visits continued to drop by an average of 4% monthly.

Another study estimated that pollution and the warming climate caused by pollution result in $820 billion of annual health care costs across the United States and 107,000 premature deaths per year.

A third study looked just at the direct effects of fossil fuel pollution on Americans' health, excluding any health impacts caused by our warming planet. Its findings were still staggering.

"We find that air pollution in 2016 from the oil and gas sector in the U.S. resulted in 410,000 asthma exacerbations, 2,200 new cases of childhood asthma, and 7,500 excess deaths, with $77 billion in total health impacts," the study authors wrote.

Why are these studies concerning?

These studies come out at a time when global pollution continues to rise and as the U.S. pulls back on its air pollution efforts.

The Global Carbon Project found that harmful carbon pollution from burning fossil fuels reached an all-time high in 2024. The estimated 45.9 billion tons of global carbon pollution represented a 2.5% increase over 2023.

In fact, only seven countries met the World Health Organization's air quality benchmarks in 2024. In the U.S., the American Lung Association reported that nearly 40% of people live in areas that received failing grades for particle pollution or ozone levels.

Meanwhile, the U.S. has also stopped its global air quality monitoring efforts and pulled out of the Paris Agreement, a binding global treaty that aims to curb pollution and reverse the warming effects it has on our planet.

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What can I do about pollution?

No matter what steps your local government takes — or doesn't take — to prevent air pollution, you can take action that keeps your air cleaner and your family healthier.

Installing a heat pump or solar panels can reduce the amount of dirty energy you use daily in your home. Riding a bike or using public transit drastically cuts down on your transportation pollution. Switching to electric yard tools can dramatically lower your air pollution and noise pollution.

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