Fossil Fuel Emissions from 1750 to Today Caused No Harm
William Happer, Ph.D.
Professor of Physics Emeritus
Princeton University
FOSSIL FUEL EMISSIONS FROM 1750 TO TODAY CAUSED NO HARM
(Based on comments to the EPA and OMB)
New York and Vermont have Climate Superfund laws and many lawsuits in state courts seek tens of trillions of dollars in damages they assert can be attributed to fossil fuel carbon dioxide and other GHG emissions.1 The New York Climate Superfund law alone seeks $75 billion in damages. 2
All these misguided efforts are premised on the theory that fossil fuel carbon dioxide and other GHG emissions cause harm. The theory is scientifically invalid. Most of the current warming began around the year 1750, well before the concentration of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases derived from fossil fuels, had increased substantially in the atmosphere.
Greenhouse gases have contributed only a minor part of current warming, most likely around 0.3 C or less.
The use of fossil fuels has eliminated famine, greatly extended human longevity and allowed the average citizen from countries with access to fossil fuels to enjoy a lifestyle that is healthier and more fulfilling than that of kings in past centuries. The increased concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide has been a huge benefit to agriculture and forestry.
Carbon dioxide emissions have benefited humanity and all life on Earth. Greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels have brought no damages, only benefits.
1 Jessica Wentz, Conference Report: Attribution Science and Climate Law | Sabin Center for Climate Change Law (March 2025); National Academy of Sciences, Effects of Human-Caused Greenhouse Gas Emissions on U.S. Climate, Health, and Welfare (Sept. 2025), “Attribution of Earth’s Warming and Energy Imbalance to Human Activities” pp. 19-21.
2 Claire Brown, “New York Legislators Pass Climate Superfund Bill,” Wall St. J. (June 12, 2024).
Download the full article using the link: Happer Fossil Fuel attribution 4-23-26