The value of environmentally friendly energy policies and practices seems to be increasing by the day. As we stare down another winter, many are concerned about the price of home heating this winter, and rightfully so as costs are projected to elapse even the records set last year. There are, of course, larger issues as well. As we burn fossil fuels, we are slowly depleting the ozone layers of our atmosphere. And, of course, there are the human health costs. This is what I’d like to focus on in this post.

The damage to our planet through the burning of fossil fuels is endangering the world for generations to come. But it is not until the peril to our health becomes evident, that this crisis will truly hit home for many of us. In South Africa and Australia, the ozone is among the most depleted of anywhere on the globe. Perhaps it should be no surprise then that skin-cancer rates in these countries are the highest in the world. A depleted atmosphere allows harmful cancer-causing ultraviolet rays to pierce the ozone layer, and people in these countries are feeling the effects of this firsthand.

On another level, there are the more direct health hazards that go along with the burning of fossil fuels. More specifically, there are hazards that those who work in the fossil fuel processing industry encounter more than other occupations. Among these is asbestos. Industrial exposure to this harmful toxin has been conclusively linked to the asbestos cancer, mesothelioma, which occurs in the pleural lining of the lungs. Asbestos was used to line boilers, piping, and other industrial fixtures, all of which were used heavily in oil refineries and coal plants. Perhaps it should come as no surprise then that a U.K. study confirmed that oil refinery workers were among the most at-risk occupations for pleural cancer.

In another energy and environmentally conscious paradigm, the world would not be faced with the ramifications of depleted ozone (skin cancer) or industrial asbestos exposure (mesothelioma). But it is the world we live in and we must correct our mistakes, not only to save the planet for our children, but also the health of her inhabitants today.