For centuries, fossil fuels have played a central role in human development. Coal, oil, and natural gas have fueled the modern world economy, enabling rapid industrialization. The environmental consequences of fossil fuel use are both global and local. By one estimate, 63 percent of cumulative worldwide emissions of industrial CO₂ and methane between 1751 and 2010 can be traced to the 90 major producers of oil, natural gas, coal, and cement. Besides global climate change, extracting and burning of fossil fuels have also contributed to water and air pollution, deforestation, and disrupted ecosystems. Beginning in the mid-2000s, activists of various stripes significantly elevated their protests against the fossil fuel industry, breathing new life into the climate movement.