FOSSIL FUEL HARMS BY AGE AND STAGE

The document details the specific health impacts of fossil fuel exposure throughout the human lifespan, highlighting risks such as fetal development issues, childhood cognitive and respiratory damage, adolescent hormonal disruption, occupational hazards in adulthood, and increased chronic disease in the elderly.

• Prenatal exposure to fossil fuel pollutants, including benzene and fumes, is linked to increased risks of miscarriage, preterm birth, low birth weight, birth defects, and impaired fetal development of the brain, heart, and lungs. Pregnant individuals also experience higher rates of fertility problems, gestational diabetes, and pre-eclampsia.
• During childhood, fossil fuel pollution is associated with asthma, leukemia, and permanent lung damage, as well as negative impacts on mental health and brain development that can lower IQ. These risks are disproportionately higher for children from marginalized and poorer backgrounds.
• In adolescence, exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is linked to changes in the timing of puberty, though the document notes that overall risks for this age group are likely underestimated because of a lack of specific research.
• Adults are subject to long-term health consequences resulting from their tendency to occupy the most high-exposure and hazardous roles within the fossil fuel industry.
• For the elderly, fossil fuel pollution increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease and dementia, exacerbates existing chronic diseases, and contributes to premature death.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (n.d.). FOSSIL FUEL HARMS BY AGE AND STAGE. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/POSTER-2.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. FOSSIL FUEL HARMS BY AGE AND STAGE. n.d. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/POSTER-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=FOSSIL FUEL HARMS BY AGE AND STAGE |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/POSTER-2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalclimateandhealthalliancendfossil, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{FOSSIL FUEL HARMS BY AGE AND STAGE}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/POSTER-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }