Do berço ao túmulo

The report 'Do berço ao túmulo' (From Cradle to Grave) by the Global Climate and Health Alliance details how fossil fuels cause systemic health damage at every stage of their life cycle. It highlights the disproportionate burden on marginalized communities and the 'sacrifice zones' created by industrial pollution. The document argues that the current energy system creates a 'triple crisis' of environmental devastation, widespread human health impairment, and instability in health systems. It calls for a just transition that prioritizes public health, eliminates fossil fuel subsidies, and holds polluters accountable through the 'polluter pays' principle.

• Fossil fuel pollution impacts human health across all life stages, from fetal development to old age. Prenatal exposure is linked to low birth weight, premature birth, and congenital anomalies, while children are more vulnerable due to faster breathing rates and developing organs. In older adults, pollution aggravates chronic diseases and increases the risk of dementia and Parkinson's disease.
• Every stage of the fossil fuel life cycle emits harmful pollutants. Extraction releases benzene, heavy metals, and radioactive materials; refining emits carcinogenic chemicals like toluene and VOCs; combustion produces PM2.5 and nitrogen oxides; and waste (such as coal ash) continues to expose communities to toxins for decades.
• Health impacts are distributed unequally, with marginalized groups—including Indigenous peoples, racial minorities, and low-income populations—living disproportionately close to polluting infrastructure in 'sacrifice zones'.
• The fossil fuel industry causes profound social damage, including forced displacement of communities, increased rates of substance abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking, particularly in areas with 'man camps' for temporary workers.
• Global fossil fuel subsidies reached an estimated US$ 7 trillion in 2022, with US$ 5.7 trillion being implicit subsidies representing unaccounted social costs such as air pollution and climate damage.
• Air pollution from fossil fuels is a primary driver of premature death, with one study estimating 8.34 million excess deaths per year, 82% of which are attributable to fossil fuel combustion.
• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is characterized as a 'dangerous distraction' that may allow the continued use of fossil fuels while failing to mitigate the full range of health and social damages and potentially increasing emissions through its own energy requirements.
• The production of plastics, as a 'Plan B' for the oil industry, generates significant greenhouse gas emissions and exposes humans to over 16,000 chemicals, at least 4,200 of which are known to be toxic.
• Climate change creates 'cascading risks' where extreme weather events damage fossil fuel infrastructure, leading to toxic leaks and environmental contamination, such as the oil spills following Hurricane Katrina.
• The report recommends eight policy actions: halting new exploration, eliminating subsidies, cleaning up existing production, internalizing health costs via the 'polluter pays' principle, community-led health research, combating industry disinformation, ending fossil fuel financing, and decarbonizing the health sector.

APA

Global Climate and Health Alliance (n.d.). Do berço ao túmulo. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/C2G-Report-low-res-Portuguese.pdf

Chicago

Global Climate and Health Alliance. Do berço ao túmulo. n.d. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/C2G-Report-low-res-Portuguese.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Global Climate and Health Alliance |title=Do berço ao túmulo |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/C2G-Report-low-res-Portuguese.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{globalclimateandhealthalliancendbero, author = {{Global Climate and Health Alliance}}, title = {{Do berço ao túmulo}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/C2G-Report-low-res-Portuguese.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }