AAP Voices Blog

The health of our planet and the health of our children are inextricably intertwined. Pediatricians like me know this; we see it every day, in children experiencing heat illness, suffering breathing issues and asthma flare-ups, and trauma resulting from climate-related disasters. Our young people know it, too. While their advocacy for their own future and their right to a clean, safe and sustainable planet inspires us, it is tragic that it is necessary. We owe it to them to protect our planet and their future.  
 
The American Academy of Pediatrics first sounded the alarm about climate change and its tragically detrimental effects on children nearly two decades ago by becoming the first health care society to release a policy statement calling for action. Today, climate change poses a clear and immediate threat to our youth.  The AAP Board of Directors has made environmental health and disaster readiness a strategic initiative because of its concern about tackling the very real risks to children here and now.  
 
As a pediatrician on this Earth Day, I’d like to write my own prescription. One that addresses the threats climate change poses to the physical, mental and emotional health of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.  
 
According to the Environmental Protection Agency 2023 report, “Climate Change and Children’s Health and Well-Being in the United States", with a 2° C temperature increase, children in the U.S. can expect to see a 4% reduction in academic achievement relative to average learning gains and potentially $6.9 billion lost in future income – largely from heat exposure and lack of air conditioning in homes and schools. At 2° C, worsening air pollution is expected cause at least 34,500 children to develop asthma yearly, and health care professionals can expect an additional 5,800 asthma-related emergency department visits each year from worsening pollen counts. Going forward, intensified allergy seasons could result in an additional 41,000 visits for seasonal allergies, and at least 120,000 additional prescriptions for allergy medications each year. 
 
This aligns with what I hear from pediatricians around the country every day. Because of their size, children have greater exposure to contaminants from air, food and water per unit of body weight, and their growth and development depend on a healthy environment. What harms our planet harms our children exponentially. In my home state of Oregon, we are seeing more warm, dry summers – and resulting wildfires that burn tens of thousands of acres. Air quality has diminished in every city that tracks it. We see more asthma visits as a result, and many children can’t tolerate being outdoors to enjoy summer experiences.  
 
Extreme weather of all kinds undermines the foundations of healthy child development, decreasing the stability of families, schools, neighborhoods and communities.  Children who already bear a disproportionately high burden of disease because of poverty, structural racism, language barriers, or inequity in educational opportunities face even greater risks of climate change hazards.  
 
So what can pediatricians prescribe for these ills?  
 
We can, and must, advocate for equitable climate policies at the local, state, national and international levels, and continue to lift the voices of youth and their communities working to advance zero-carbon energy policy and climate justice.  
 
This includes policies promote cleaner air, facilitate walking and bicycling, encourage more sustainable diets, increase access to nature, and the development of more connected communities. We must work to establish laws or regulations that transition road vehicles, the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, to zero carbon emission at a rate consistent with the Paris Agreement. Every sector of our society can play a role; within health care, for example, we can create incentives to improve energy efficiency, reduce waste, and increase reliance on clean energy. Small acts can contribute to a big impact. 
 
Solving the climate crisis can feel daunting, but we’ve lived the consequences of inaction from individuals, businesses and governments. Young people are feeling both the daily effects of this inaction now and also anticipating its longer-term harm to our planet. We owe it to them to listen, and to act. We can, and we must, do better.  
  
It is the right of all children to grow up healthy, safe, and secure. Working together to build a healthier planet is essential if we hope to achieve that goal. We must find the solutions necessary to ensure the foundation of a healthy future for every child.