Climate Change
Climate Crisis Set To Put More Lives At Risk With No Action To Phase Out Fossil Fuels: Report
The health of humans around the world is “at the mercy of fossil fuels”, highlights the annual Lancet Countdown report
Washington DC: A new report from more than 100 scientists and health practitioners has found that the climate crisis is set to put more lives at risk without bold action to phase out fossil fuels, CNN reported. The annual Lancet Countdown report, released on Tuesday (November 14), found that delaying climate action will lead to a nearly five-fold increase in heat-related deaths by 2050, underscoring that the health of humans around the world is “at the mercy of fossil fuels.”
Also Read: As World Approaches “Irreversible Harm,” Deaths Due To Heat May Rise Fivefold: Lancet Study
Authors say governments, banks and companies are still allowing the use of fossil fuels to expand and harm human health, despite the growing health hazards and the costs of adapting to climate change.
Lancet Countdown’s executive director and lead author, Marina Romanello, told CNN:
We’re seeing that we’re moving in the opposite direction to where we should be going with the expansion of private companies’ oil and gas production plans, financing going toward the fossil fuel sector, and all in all a promotion of oil and gas burning that is threatening our survival around the world.
“Mortality is just the tip of the iceberg of the enormous burden that comes with heat,” she added.
Ms Romanello stressed that if the world continues to be dependent on fossil fuels, the consequences could be catastrophic not only for human health but also for the economy.
The planet has already warmed roughly 1.2 degrees Celsius since the pre-industrial era in the late 1800s. When the world is two degrees warmer, the report found countries will start to see a 50 per cent increase in labour capacity loss because of exposure to extreme heat, which could lead to enormous economic losses and losses to livelihoods and wellbeing, as per CNN.
More than half a billion more people in the world will suffer food insecurity by mid-century, the report found, if the planet warms two degrees.
Ms Romanello said,
The underlying message is that we need to pursue efforts urgently to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees, but that every fraction of a degree of temperature increase matters.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.