Children and Climate Change |
The dangerous effects of climate change are getting more evident as Super El Niño begins.
Climate change policy should focus on the impact on children's health, well-being, and long-term development.
Young people are anxious about climate change and want to become active contributors to healing the planet.
We need to empower today's youth with the tools they'll need to survive and even thrive on a changing planet.
Things Are Getting Worse
We’re experiencing a Super El Niño at the moment, with dramatic demonstrations every day of the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. I’m deeply sad that my grandchildren may not get to enjoy the beautiful summer days I’ve taken for granted all my life, days when the air was fresh and healthy—not dangerously polluted with smoke and chemicals—and the temperature was warm enough to enjoy a walk in nature or a swim in the lake, but not sweltering.
But clean air and pleasant temperatures are not the only costs of climate change. Half of the world’s children are at extremely high risk from climate change. The threats are big and include increases in the rates of preterm birth and low birthweight; a shifting spread of diseases like malaria, dengue fever, and Zika virus; disruptions to safe water access and food security; increasing child morbidity and mortality; and climate-related conflict.
Climate change is exacerbating local and global inequalities and resulting in intergenerational injustice. Parents everywhere are increasingly challenged to provide their........