October 31, 2024
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Vote for a healthy climate for our children
The 2024 presidential election will have a huge impact on the climate, children’s health and future
Tourists walked on the National Mall as smoke from Canadian wildfires caused pungent smells and foggy conditions in Washington, DC, June 7, 2023. Washington, D.C., authorities warned that the air quality was “unhealthy for people with heart and lung conditions and for the elderly.” , children, and youth, and all outdoor activities in public schools, including sports classes, have been canceled.
Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
For America’s children, this election will be one of the most consequential in our nation’s history. Climate change has a huge impact on children’s health, and the election will decide whether to continue to curb fossil fuel pollution and slow global warming, or reverse this policy. hard-won results Recent years have had devastating consequences.
Republican candidate former President Donald Trump has been fired. Global warming is a “fraud” And I swore that if I won, Expanding excavation vigorously For oil and gas. He has pledged to rescind or repeal the Biden administration’s clean energy and climate policies, specifically targeting: $370 billion reduce greenhouse gas emissions, clean renewable energy. deregulation road map The second Trump administration, dubbed “Project 2025,” is similarly focused on unlimited production of fossil fuels and the repeal of the IRA and other climate and environmental regulations.
In contrast, Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris describes climate change this way: “Existential” threat. she was selected as vice president tie vote He allowed the IRA to pass and supported new emissions standards to curb environmental pollution. Oil and gas business, car, track and dirty power plant. Harris announced more than $1 billion in grants to states in 2022 to address flooding and heatwaves worsened by climate change, and the impact of climate change and fossil fuel pollution on marginalized communities. has championed environmental justice programs that alleviate
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Researchers like myself who study the effects of climate change and air pollution on the health of children from in utero to adolescence have found that climate change impacts: threat multipliernearly all children in the United States and around the world are at risk of at least one climate-intensified hazard, including extreme heat, severe storms and flooding, wildfires, food insecurity, and insect-borne diseases. .
toll of physical and mental health The number of children is huge and continues to grow. More babies are being born prematurely and with low birth weight as a result of mothers exposed to intense heat and bushfire smoke for long periods of time. pregnant. Infants, toddlers, and adolescent athletes can experience hyperthermia, kidney disease, and even death from exposure to intense heat. every year Wildfires in the western United States expose more than 7 million children to lung-damaging smoke that often causes asthma attacks. Infectious diseases like Lyme disease are increasing among children, primarily due to climate change. Children have also experienced physical and psychological trauma due to severe storms and floods, with many suffering from PTSD and depression as a result. Recognizing the health impacts of climate change increases children’s risk of anxiety and other mental health problems, with almost half of young people recently investigated He said concerns about climate change are having a negative impact on daily life. Exposure to extreme heat can reduce a child’s cognitive function, reducing their concentration, learning ability, and academic performance, which can affect their future income.
air pollution It is now recognized as a parallel health crisis, with fossil fuel emissions being the main cause. Air pollution has long been recognized as a trigger for asthma attacks in children, but it is now understood to be a direct cause of asthma and other respiratory diseases. Everything from infant deaths and childhood asthma to mental health conditions are linked to air pollution. Like climate change, exposure to air pollution is impacting children’s ability to learn. In a study of New York City, my colleagues and I found that: its IQ score and academic performance They are dropped on children who have been exposed to air pollution from cars, construction and industry before birth.
All children are vulnerable, but Black and Hispanic children face lower income demographics. disproportionate exposure Air pollution in disadvantaged areas. discriminatory policies, Red writing etc.has created urban heat islands in communities of color with fewer trees and shaded areas.
On the healthy side, the Inflation Control Act’s climate and energy provisions will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1 billion metric tons in 2030, meeting our nation’s goal of at least a 50% reduction in emissions. By then, the IRA has also significantly reduced the levels of small respirable particles, up to 4,500 premature deathsEach year there are 119,000 asthma attacks, approximately 179,000 cases of respiratory symptoms and bronchitis, and thousands of hospitalizations and respiratory emergency department visits. The deaths avoided would be concentrated in communities of color, which have historically experienced the greatest harm from air pollution. The economic impact is estimated to reach $49 billion in 2030 alone. In the same year, the IRA’s global climate benefits amounted to $137 billion.
This is not the first time that a policy has been shown to have significant health and economic benefits. of The U.S. Clean Air Act and its amendments Between 1970 and 2020, we reduced national emissions of common air pollutants by an average of 78%. In 2020 alone, Clean Air Act programs delivered net economic benefits to public health. Lives saved, hospital visits avoided, schools maintained, and up to $3.8 trillion. ,plus Over $21 billion Climate-related economic damage can be avoided.
of Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Northeastern U.S. requires power plants to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, avoiding estimated pollution reductions 830 premature deathsA total of 12,000 heart attacks, respiratory illnesses, Prematurity and low birth weightfor asthma and autism spectrum disorders.
Government policies can protect our health and economy, and the biggest beneficiaries are children. This election will impact the current and future health of our children.
This is an opinion and analysis article and the views expressed by the author are not necessarily those of the author. scientific american.
