Fossil fuels damage water, land and ecosystems.
The extraction and transportation of oil can lead to irreversible spills. These spills damage surrounding ecosystems, destroying biodiversity and livelihoods of fenced communities and contaminating drinking water.
Coal mining and fracking produce toxic waste that is known to contaminate water.
Every year, hundreds of oil spills irreversibly damage the Niger Delta, caused by old and poorly maintained pipelines or criminal activities such as oil theft. Mining operators are unable to clean up these spills, allowing them to continue their devastating impact on the fields, forests and fisheries on which most people in the region depend for food and livelihood.
The process of fossil fuel production takes up a lot of space, from wells, pipelines and roads to processing and waste management facilities. In many cases, people are forcibly removed from their homes so that companies can extract and produce fossil fuels.
Indigenous peoples are particularly and disproportionately affected by land grabs, as most fossil fuel residues are located on their land. In most cases, the livelihoods and cultural identities of these communities are uniquely linked to their land and natural environment. These cultural connections are threatened by the continued use and extraction of fossil fuels.