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25% of the world's people dwells within three miles of active fossil fuel facilities, possibly endangering the health of over 2 billion people as well as essential environmental systems, according to groundbreaking research.

Worldwide Spread of Coal and Gas Operations

In excess of 18,300 oil, natural gas, and coal locations are currently spread in over 170 countries worldwide, covering a extensive area of the world's land.

Proximity to wellheads, industrial plants, transport lines, and other coal and gas installations raises the threat of cancer, breathing ailments, cardiovascular issues, preterm labor, and fatality, while also creating severe threats to water supplies and air cleanliness, and harming land.

Nearby Residence Dangers and Future Growth

Almost half a billion residents, including one hundred twenty-four million minors, currently dwell within 0.6 miles of fossil fuel sites, while another 3.5k or so upcoming facilities are presently planned or being built that could require 135 million additional people to face fumes, gas flares, and accidents.

Nearly all active projects have created pollution concentrated areas, converting surrounding communities and vital habitats into referred to as sacrifice zones – heavily contaminated areas where low-income and marginalized groups carry the disproportionate weight of proximity to contaminants.

Physical and Environmental Impacts

The report details the severe health consequences from drilling, processing, and movement, as well as demonstrating how seepages, ignitions, and construction damage unique ecological systems and weaken civil liberties – notably of those dwelling near oil, gas, and coal infrastructure.

The report emerges as international representatives, without the USA – the biggest historical emitter of greenhouse gases – gather in Belém, Brazil, for the 30th annual environmental talks during growing frustration at the lack of progress in ending oil, gas, and coal, which are causing planetary collapse and rights abuses.

"The fossil fuel industry and their state sponsors have maintained for a long time that societal progress needs coal, oil, and gas. But research shows that in the name of prosperity, they have instead promoted self-interest and revenues without limits, infringed liberties with almost total immunity, and destroyed the climate, biosphere, and marine environments."

Environmental Talks and Global Demand

The environmental summit takes place as the the Asian nation, Mexico, and the Caribbean island are reeling from major hurricanes that were strengthened by higher atmospheric and ocean heat levels, with nations under growing urgency to take firm measures to oversee fossil fuel companies and halt drilling, subsidies, licenses, and demand in order to adhere to a significant ruling by the international court of justice.

In recent days, disclosures revealed how more than five thousand three hundred fifty coal and petroleum lobbyists have been granted admission to the United Nations climate talks in the recent years, blocking emission reductions while their paymasters extract record quantities of oil and natural gas.

Research Process and Results

The statistical analysis is derived from a groundbreaking geospatial project by experts who cross-referenced records on the known positions of fossil fuel facilities sites with demographic information, and datasets on critical environments, greenhouse gas emissions, and native communities' areas.

A third of all functioning oil, coal, and gas sites overlap with multiple critical environments such as a marsh, woodland, or aquatic network that is rich in species diversity and critical for emission storage or where environmental decline or calamity could lead to ecosystem collapse.

The true international extent is likely larger due to deficiencies in the recording of oil and gas sites and incomplete census data across nations.

Natural Injustice and Indigenous Populations

The results demonstrate long-standing ecological injustice and discrimination in exposure to oil, gas, and coal sectors.

Tribal populations, who comprise one in twenty of the international people, are disproportionately exposed to life-shortening fossil fuel infrastructure, with 16% facilities located on tribal territories.

"We face intergenerational resistance weariness … We literally will not withstand [this]. We have never been the instigators but we have endured the impact of all the conflict."

The growth of oil, gas, and coal has also been linked with territorial takeovers, traditional loss, community division, and income reduction, as well as violence, internet intimidation, and lawsuits, both illegal and non-criminal, against local representatives peacefully opposing the building of pipelines, extraction operations, and additional facilities.

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