Halloween is here, the leaves are changing colours, and the days are shorter than ever. For environmentalists, the spooky season is all year round. Fossil fuel industries are pumping out greenhouse gases and polluting the environment. The demand for oil and gas continues to grow and sometimes there seems to be no hope for a better future.
To truly understand why environmentalists and others concerned about the state of the environment live in constant fear, let’s explore articles that reveal how the fossil fuel industry affects the environment - beyond solely greenhouse gas emissions.
An article titled, “Oil and Gas Projects in the Western Amazon: Threats to Wilderness, Biodiversity, and Indigenous Peoples” highlights the impact of the fossil fuel industry on wildlife in the Western Amazon. According to the article, the Western Amazon is the most biologically rich part of the Amazon. The authors collected information from government sources to check the development status of oil and gas industries. Governments locate certain geographical areas they find beneficial for economic growth. These areas are known as “blocks” and they are used for hydrocarbon activities. Governments can lease the blocks to multinational and state energy companies. Their research has revealed that about 180 oil and gas blocks are covering 688,000 km² of forest in the western Amazon. Keep in mind that this is the most species-rich part of the Amazon and that these blocks also overlap Indigenous territories. Oil spills in the Amazon are not unheard of.
Another article titled, “Exploring the Endocrine Activity of Air Pollutants associated with Unconventional Oil and Gas Extraction”, explains how air pollutants connected to oil and gas extraction disrupt the endocrine system. The endocrine system is made up of organs that create hormones. Hormones are important because they control many functions of the body such as growth and development, metabolism, and reproduction. The authors of this article state that there are about a thousand chemicals that are used in the process of unconventional oil and gas extraction. The authors evaluated studies that were done on areas near unconventional gas and oil extraction sites. Results reveal that there were 106 chemicals in two or more studies. In these studies, the most common chemicals were ethane, benzene, and n-pentane. About 21 chemicals are endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Many of these chemicals not only disrupt the endocrine system but also disrupt the reproduction, developmental, and neurological systems.
Finally, an article that highlights the impact of the fossil fuel industry on wildlife is, “Conventional Oil and Gas Development Alters Forest Songbird Communities”. The authors examined the impact of fossil fuels on forest habitat, the population of songbird species, species diversity, and similarities between different forest types. Their study site was located in northwest Pennsylvania in the Allegheny National Forest (ANF). There are two major forest types in this study area: oak forests and northern hardwood forests. The author analyzed the differences between the two forest types. Results showed that there is an increase in roads and cleared areas in both the northern hardwood forest site and oak forest site of the Allegheny National Forest. Forest structure changed, there were decreases in basal area and canopy cover. Forest interior species were less abundant. There is a low abundance of individual bird species. Results also revealed changes in all 3 avian guilds from fossil fuel development and as a result of these changes, biotic homogenization occurred. Biotic homogenization essentially means that there is an increasing similarity in the makeup of a certain community found in different places. According to the article, it can also be defined as a loss of “uniqueness” among communities over time due to anthropogenic events like urbanization and climate change. Biotic homogenization leads to a decrease in species diversity which can make species very vulnerable to any diseases and climate issues.
Developments in species-rich environments, endocrine disruptor pollutants, biotic homogenization are just a few reasons why so many people in the York University community are worried about the impacts of the fossil fuel industry.
This is why fossil fuel divestment is crucial and one of the key ways to see real change in the environment. Slowing production can limit the negative impact on the environment but effective change occurs when the source itself is stopped. We can try to reduce how much is extracted or try to protect the animals that are impacted by the extraction process. However, the environment will continue to suffer until there is fossil fuel divestment from leaders and organizations that continue to ignore the detrimental effects it has on the environment in the name of economic development.