Dirty Energy affects everybody
Dirty Energy affects everybody -- from homeowners with wells in their backyard to people on the other side of the world. Even if you're lucky enough not to live next to -- or downwind or downstream from -- a mine or well, Dirty Energy development is threatening the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the climate of the Earth.
Dirty Energy is dirty at every step of production
 And the impacts from Dirty Energy are felt during every stage of development, including getting the energy source out of the ground; transporting the crude oil and waste products; processing the dirty energy into a form that can be used by consumers; and burning the fuels to produce energy.
The result: damage to health of people, animals, ecosystems
- Climate change: Drilling for and consuming Dirty Energy such as tar sands releases large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, often in greater quantities than the traditional energy sources that have fueled the current climate crisis.
- Air: In addition to releasing greenhouse gases, the extraction, refining and burning of dirty fuels can release a variety of chemicals into the air. These chemicals can cause acid rain, ground-level ozone, and direct health effects for those who live in the vicinity of dirty energy development.
- Water: Pollutants from mines, wells and refineries can contaminate drinking water supplies and aquatic habitats, and Dirty Energy production can use massive amounts of fresh water, which can be devastating to areas already suffering water shortages.
- Lands and ecosystems : The development of Dirty Energy can permanently alter ecosystems -- turning wilderness into industrial zones and waste sites; causing habitat destruction and fragmentation; and destroying soils through erosion, acidification or a build-up of salt.
- Public health and safety: Contamination of the air, water, and soil by Dirty Energy can pose serious risks to public health. In addition to contamination, neighborhoods can be transformed into industrial zones and waste sites, creating additional impacts such as noise pollution, increased traffic, fires, and explosions.
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