ENVIRONMENT
Fossil fuel pollution kills 5 million people a year
November 30, 2023 - Air pollution from fossil fuel use likely kills more than 5 million people worldwide every year, according to a new report by the British Medical Journal.
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Global air pollution from fossil fuel use kills an estimated 5.13 million people every year, according to a new report by the British Medical Journal.
Excess deaths attributed to fine particulate and ozone air pollution are estimated to amount to 8.34 million per year – with 62% of those linked to fossil fuels.
The new report based on 2019 data, and the largest study of its kind, estimates fossil fuel-related deaths to be far larger than most previously reported values, amplifying ambient air pollution as the leading environmental health risk factor for illness and death.
Research suggests that switching from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy sources could save millions of lives every year.