Environmental damage related to fossil fuels
Consequences of a prolonged use of fossil fuels, including global climate change, have been forecast by scientists, and some of them can already be witnessed today:
- Heat waves: More heat-related deaths and illnesses
- Air pollution: Aggravation of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases from worsening air quality
- Terrestrial changes: Risk of infectious diseases because of new geographic ranges and activity of disease-carrying animals, insects, and infective parasites
- Altered marine ecology: Changes in incidence of cholera and food poisoning from toxic algae
- Storms: Deaths and injuries from storms and floods and intestinal illnesses from flooding of sewage treatment plants
- Droughts: Rising malnutrition in some countries
- Population displacement: Injuries and increased risk of disease due to migration and crowding
- Saltwater encroachment: Greater risk of intestinal illneses from inadequate water supplies
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