Renewable Revolution

September 30th, 2017 by James Ayre

SNIPPET:

The fossil fuel industry has cost the US around $240 billion a year over the last decade through the effects of extreme weather and air pollution, according to a new study from the non-profit Universal Ecological Fund. That’s $240 billion per year.

That figure represents an average, of course, with year-by-year variations being present depending upon circumstances. This year, for instance, is already approaching the $300 billion mark (by estimation), owing to widespread and damaging wildfires and the fact that multiple powerful hurricanes have struck the US mainland.

“The evidence is undeniable: the more fossil fuels we burn, the faster the climate continues to change,” researchers wrote in the new study.

While extreme weather events are what grabs the headlines, the new study makes it clear that the effects of air pollution on human/worker health are far more damaging. Of the $240 billion a year figure quoted above, an average of $188 billion relates to the effects of air pollution, and “just” $52 billion relates to extreme weather events.

Full article:

https://cleantechnica.com/2017/09/30/fossil-fuel-industry-cost-usa-240-billion-year-last-decade-via-extreme-weather-air-pollution-study-finds/