Let’s protect our communities together. We must prevent what we cannot cure.

📷: Cover of the report from Physicians for Social Responsibility.

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But individuals and health professionals alone are not enough. Protecting communities from the health harms of fossil fuel pollution requires bold policy and systemic change.”

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. . . by engaging with local organizations that are advocating for clean air and a clean energy transition, talking to community members and policymakers about the health harms of fossil fuel pollution and reducing personal reliance on fossil fuels where possible.

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. . . talk about it with one person in your community, and then join Chesapeake PSR today and learn how you can support our work for clean air, clean energy, and climate justice: chesapeakepsr.org/contact-us

More from the report:

"Individuals can also play a vital role. . .

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. . . The Hidden Health Costs of Fossil Fuel Pollution.”

The report reveals how coal, oil and methane gas cause direct health impacts at every stage of life. From the air we breathe to the water we drink, the damage is widespread.

Read the report here (psr.org/fuelingsickness) . . .

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The quote above is from a new report by Physicians for Social Responsibility, the American Public Health Association, the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health, and the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, and others titled “Fueling Sickness:" . . .

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. . . each year - including an estimated 350,000 premature deaths in the U.S. alone. Beyond deaths, fossil fuel pollution is making people sick, including through heart and lung disease, cancer, adverse reproductive outcomes, neurological disorders and other chronic conditions.“

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📷: The Chesapeake Bay. Image by NASA/USGS/Landsat 5 via Wikimedia Commons (bit.ly/4ntewOr)

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. . . and who pays the costs of action (or inaction) on climate. For me the choice is very simple: I choose the long-term well-being of us all over the short-term profits of a few rich men. Keep up the fight.” (bit.ly/oxfamclimatefinance)

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The benefits in lives saved, health preserved, and homes safeguarded are incalculable.

Oxfam puts it best: “Acting on climate change now costs less than the damages we will all incur if we don’t. The biggest difference is essentially who reaps the benefits . . .

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. . . according to the Maryland Public Service Commission. (bit.ly/mdpscreport)

Every $1 spent on offshore wind farms along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts generates $14 in benefits, according to Resources for the Future. (bit.ly/rffofshorewind)

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. . . by investing in transitioning to a clean, just energy system and phasing out the use of fossil fuels.

Every $1 invested in energy efficiency and conservation through Maryland’s EmPOWER program yields $2.21 in economic benefits . . .

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“According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 Climate Resiliency Report, every $1 invested in resilience and disaster preparedness returns $13 in avoided damages and recovery costs.” –The Baltimore Sun

What saves the most is preventing fossil-fueled climate disasters in the first place...

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. . . that have hit the state since 1984, Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman said at a symposium Tuesday.” –The Baltimore Sun

Investing in infrastructure to protect ourselves from the coming fossil-fueled climate disasters pays for itself many times over.

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“More frequent and intense heat waves increase the risk of heat exhaustion, stroke and heart attacks in Marylanders.” –The Baltimore Sun

“Climate change has already cost Maryland between $10 billion and $20 billion in cleanup efforts following 85 extreme weather events . . .

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Ms. Gunter is the author of the upcoming book, No to Nuclear: Why Nuclear Power Destroys Lives, Derails Climate Progress, and Provokes War, which you can pre-order here: bit.ly/notonuclear

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