Health evidence against gas and oil is piling up, as governments turn a blind eye

It’s incomprehensible, then, that many of our politicians support “unlocking the Beetaloo Basin” in the Northern Territory and developing another 48 oil and gas projects across Australia.

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The ConversationThe Conversation
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https://theconversation.com/health-evidence-against-gas-and-oil-is-piling-up-as-governments-turn-a-blind-eye-212459https://theconversation.com/health-evidence-against-gas-and-oil-is-piling-up-as-governments-turn-a-blind-eye-212459
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Monday, September 4, 2023
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People, Review, Methane, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Barium, Asthma, Travel, Depression, Industry, Phenols, Heart failure, Atmosphere, Acute lymphoblastic leukemia, WA, Public, Acrolein, Hydrogen sulfide, Agriculture, Anxiety, Aborigine, Organic compound, Sand, Splenic infarction, Fire, Climate change, Toxicity, Temperature, Carbon, Nitrogen, Government, Coal, Biodiversity, Soil, River, Risk, Mining, Water, Fresh water, Map, Particulates, Cancer, Health, Native title in Australia, Toluene, Climate, Pregnancy, Beetaloo, Food security, Safety, Air pollution, Greenhouse, Benzene, Renewable energy, Natural gas, Fossil fuel, Whaling, Oil, Birth control, Goldilocks and the Three Bears
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NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, UNITED STATES, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, NORTHERN TERRITORY
Summary
Key Points: 
  • It’s incomprehensible, then, that many of our politicians support “unlocking the Beetaloo Basin” in the Northern Territory and developing another 48 oil and gas projects across Australia.
  • Today we have launched a report that demonstrates the many risks of oil and gas development for human health and wellbeing in Australia.
  • Read more:
    Australia's 116 new coal, oil and gas projects equate to 215 new coal power stations

What is the evidence against oil and gas?

    • There is a need to combat widely held misconceptions and repeated misinformation about the safety of the oil and gas industry.
    • New research clearly shows that “unlocking gas” is at least as harmful to the climate as mining and burning coal.
    • Our report synthesises recent scientific and public health research on five areas of concern about oil and gas operations:
    • Fracking is often applied many times to each of hundreds to thousands of wells in a region.
    • Air becomes contaminated with volatile organic compounds, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, radioactive materials, diesel fumes, hydrogen sulfide, acrolein and heavy metals.
    • Read more:
      Companies that frack for oil and gas can keep a lot of information secret – but what they disclose shows widespread use of hazardous chemicals

What are the health impacts?


    People exposed to oil and gas operations experience a long list of harms. These include:

    Read more:
    Land clearing and fracking in Australia's Northern Territory threatens the world's largest intact tropical savanna

Putting Indigenous people and others in harm’s way

    • Some companies have allegedly violated the rights of Traditional Owners to free, prior and informed consent.
    • The massive disruption of Aboriginal Country and life puts people at great risk of physical, social, emotional, cultural and spiritual harm.
    • The report also issues a loud warning about sexual violence against First Nations Americans and Canadians associated with oil and gas activities.
    • She is affiliated with the Climate and Health Alliance, Australian Public Health Association and the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology.
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