What Are the Effects of Fossil Fuels on People?

Greenhouse Effect and Climate Change

• The burning of fossil fuels contributes a high concentration of greenhouse gases into the Earth's atmosphere, namely carbon dioxide. This condition is believed to be the driving force of global climate change and the greenhouse effect. Climate change affects people adversely as the stability of the environment decreases as a direct result. Frozen glaciers are slowly melting, decreasing in mass and raising sea levels around the globe. People living in the arctic tundra of Alaska and Russia are at risk as the temperature rises and begins to melt away the permafrost beneath their towns.

Ocean Acidification

• As more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, greater levels of the gas settle into the sea. This changes the chemistry of the ocean to a more acidic environment, which is hostile to the living organisms that live there. Marine ecosystems are responsible for a vast majority of our food source, not to mention balancing all other ecosystems on the planet. Increasing ocean acidification endangers vital nutrient cycles that marine and terrestrial organisms depend upon for survival.

Pollution and Disease

• Air pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels, also known as smog, has been shown to increase the risk of lung and heart disease. Besides carbon dioxide, other harmful air pollutants released by burning fossil fuels include sulfur oxides, volatile organic compounds, particulate matter and carbon monoxide. According to the Citizens Action Coalition Education Fund of Indiana, fine particle emission caused by the combustion of fossil fuels contributes to premature death in patients with heart and lung diseases.

Dependency on Nonrenewable Resources

• Developed nations, like the United States and Canada, are the world's leaders in energy consumption. By an overwhelming percentage, the U.S. and Canada rely on burning fossil fuels for the source of this energy. The Canadian Lung Association claims that roughly 72 percent of Canada's energy comes from burning fossil fuels. A report from Environment America projects a $23 trillion expenditure by the U.S. between the years 2010 and 2030. The U.S. currently depends on fossil fuels for 85 percent of its energy supply. The irony is that both countries invest exorbitant amounts of taxpayer money each year in energy sources that will eventually run out.