Today a federal court ordered the company that owns the Dakota Access Pipeline to shut down the pipeline and drain it while a complete environmental impact statement is done.
Yesterday, Dominion Energy and Duke Energy announced they are canceling the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which had a path from West Virginia through Virginia to North Carolina. Earlier this year, the Constitution Pipeline in New York was canceled, and the Mountain Valley Pipeline remains embattled.
And how do all these pipelines relate to health?
> The oil in the pipelines comes from wells that leak methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air. Methane and other VOCs contribute to ozone formation and climate change. Communities hundreds of miles from the wells can have air pollution problems as a result of well production and leaks.
> The pipelines can have leaks anywhere along their route, leaking oil onto the ground and into the water, contaminating crops and wells.
> The oil in the pipeline is burned for power or transportation, putting carbon dioxide, soot, and other pollutants into the air. Some of the pollutants contribute to ozone formation. Air pollution and climate change are the result.
> Air pollution is known to cause heart disease, lung disease, lung cancer, other kinds of cancer, and strokes, and is more and more often being linked to cognitive issues at schools and work, dementia, diabetes, and kidney disease.
> Climate change is a severe health threat, it causes heatwaves, flooding, droughts, amplifies wildfires, intensifies storms, and threatens crops and food security, and other health threats.
> Pipelines, power plants, refineries, and other infrastructure are examples of our country’s environmental racism, putting polluting facilities in or near communities of color.
It shows how interconnected health is with other aspects of our lives. Fossil fuels and the infrastructure needed for them are absolutely detrimental to our health. They are a modern example of structural racism because they cause more harm to Black communities and communities of color.
We are used to thinking of health care as going to an office or clinic or hospital or pharmacy, but in reality, clean renewable energy is another form health care. Just like vaccines which keep people healthy by preventing disease, clean renewable energy also keeps people healthy and prevents them from having heart attacks, asthma, strokes, and other health problems. Clean energy promotes health.
It’s why Mothers and Others For Clean Air cares so much about air pollution and climate change. We want people to be healthy and thrive.
