The number of people dying due to toxic air from dirty fuels has dropped significantly in recent years, largely in part to the closure of coal plants.
The Times summarized a new report by the Lancet medical journal, which found that the number of people killed by air pollution caused by the burning of coal, natural gas, and oil fell by almost 7% between 2016 and 2021.
However, the rest of the findings were not as hopeful — the number of global deaths related to an overheating planet has risen in 10 out of 15 areas considered by the report. For instance, in 2023, heat-related deaths among people over 65 were 167% higher worldwide than in the 1990s.
"With an aging population in many countries in the world, this is going to be a larger problem," Ollie Jay, professor of heat and health at the University of Sydney, told the Times.
The report also called out a rise in mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue, which increased tenfold from 2000 to 2023.
"In 2023 alone, people faced an average of 50 additional days of health-threatening temperatures than expected without climate change, and nearly half the world experienced severe drought, associated with heightened food insecurity for 151 million more people compared to previous decades," the World Health Organization stated in response to the report.
While the evidence is piling up that warming global temperatures are bad for human health, the air pollution statistics offer a ray of hope. Plus, as the Times pointed out, renewable energies are now getting more funding than dirty fuels.
Still, continued investment in coal, oil, and gas is putting the world on course for 2.4 degrees Celsius (4.3 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming by the end of the century, the publication added.
That's why it's more important than ever for communities to adopt renewable energy solutions, which can help reduce planet-warming and health-harming pollution while generating affordable and reliable power.
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For instance, towns in rural Virginia are adding over one million new jobs to the economy by swapping out coal for solar. Meanwhile, Tokyo is requiring most new buildings to have solar panels. You can get on board with the green energy revolution by enrolling in community solar where you live.
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