Last week Fossil Free Media launched billboards in Phoenix, Arizona, Austin, Texas and Fresno, California - three of the hottest places in the country.
We’re letting the public know that they can thank Big Oil for the extreme weather they’re experiencing.
Extreme heat has already claimed more than a hundred lives this summer. July was the world’s hottest month on record, and the extreme temperatures continued throughout the rest of August and are expected far into September.
The Burning Reality
The fact is, the fossil fuel industry has known for decades that their products are fueling climate change and extreme weather, yet they have failed to act.
The effects are clear:
Heat waves are more intense and deadly.
Sea levels are rising, coastal communities are flooding.
Wildfires are bigger, more frequent and harder to contain.
Hurricanes pack stronger winds and heavier rainfall.
Droughts are hotter, last longer and create tinderbox conditions.
Scientists have repeatedly warned that marginalized and low-income communities and communities of color will be the first to experience their deadly impacts and we’ve seen it first hand with disasters like the deadly fires in Maui and hurricanes across the Gulf South.
The Price Tag of Inaction
Climate disasters fueled by fossil fuels are costing society trillions of dollars, yet oil companies are continuing to profit in record numbers. In quarter two alone, ExxonMobil brought in $7.9 billion in profits, its second-best April-June in over a decade.
Meanwhile,
From 2016-2020 alone, the estimated cost of climate-related disasters in the U.S. exceeded $600 billion.
Climate-related disasters killed over 5,000 people from 2016-2020 alone.
Despite these staggering costs, major oil companies continue expanding oil and gas extraction. They are sacrificing communities for the sake of short-term profits.
It’s Time To Put The Heat Back on Big Oil
Big Oil is threatening our climate, our lives, and our future. To avoid catastrophic climate change, the world must rapidly transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.
That’s why we’re putting the heat back on Big Oil and the political leaders who support them.
Join us on September 17th in New York City for the March to End Fossil Fuels.
It’s time for President Biden to transition our nation away from fossil fuels and towards the clean energy future we need and deserve.
Find out more about the march here: https://www.endfossilfuels.us/