While over 99% of peer-reviewed climate science papers agree that humans are the primary driver of rising global temperatures, many people still spread misinformation. 

Former U.S. youth climate negotiator and TikToker Lia Newman (@liaandtheworld) refuted a misleading claim made by Lucy Biggers, head of social media at The Free Press, that saying "I love fossil fuels" should not be controversial. 

@liaandtheworld @Lucy Alex Epstein and others will say they "love fossil fuels" and that saying that shouldn't be controversial. I get it - fossil fuels helped humanity develop and modernize. That doesn't mean they don't come with serious costs. The world didn't stop progressing when we invented electricity, the internet, or renewables - and it doesn't have to stop while we move past fossil fuels either. Loving progress doesn't mean ignoring its consequences. #climate #factcheck #mythbusters #climateaction #climatescience ♬ Fantasy in an Immersive World - Ernesto P. Neto

Biggers argued that dirty fuels like oil and gas have "done more for humanity, specifically … for women, than any other technology in the history of the world." 

Newman didn't deny their value, noting that fossil fuels have powered the Industrial Revolution and enabled humanity to achieve a higher standard of living, greater access to food, and improved health care. However, she explained why they've done more harm than good overall. 

"I get it — fossil fuels helped humanity develop and modernize. That doesn't mean they don't come with serious costs," she said. 

Burning oil, gas, and coal releases harmful gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere, trapping heat from the sun and fueling more frequent and intense climate disasters. 

An unstable climate is driving an increasing number of billion-dollar weather events worldwide. The U.S. experienced 27 such disasters in 2024, resulting in nearly $183 billion in damages, per the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Centers for Environmental Information. 

While heat waves weren't among these disasters, Newman noted that rising global temperatures are costing something money can't replace: lives. 

She cited a World Economic Forum article that drew on a 2025 Lancet Countdown report, which found that from 2012 to 2021, an estimated 546,000 heat-related deaths occurred each year. 

Dirty fuels have also polluted the air and water with toxins such as particulate matter and sulfur dioxide that cause many health problems, including cancer, respiratory illnesses, and reproductive disorders, along with millions of premature deaths. 

What's the most you'd pay per month to put solar panels on your roof if there was no down payment? $200 or more 💰 $100 💸 $30 💵 I'd only do it if someone else paid for it 😎 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Finally, polluting fuels have contributed to ecological imbalances, biodiversity loss, and ocean acidification, all of which harm not only animal and plant life but also humans indirectly. 

Newman ended the video by saying she believes Biggers "loves the human flourishing that fossil fuels have enabled in the past, but now we know that there are real costs." 

"Fossil fuels once powered human progress—but now we have cleaner, smarter technologies that can do the same while keeping people and the planet healthy," someone commented.

"It's so crazy to me that there are still climate change deniers, in this day and age, when the facts and data are clearly presented," another shared.

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