Energy, Climate, & Children’s Health
In the U.S. the majority of energy used goes toward generating electricity and heat, and to fueling our planes, trains, ships, and automobiles. Most of the energy consumed for these purposes comes from fossil fuels (oil or petroleum, natural gas, and coal).
By Sophie Shao, Age 15
Fossil fuels pose significant dangers to children’s health due to their harmful emissions and pollutants. Burning fossil fuels releases toxic air pollutants such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter into the air, which can trigger respiratory issues in children. Additionally, fossil fuel combustion releases greenhouse gasses (GHGs) such as carbon dioxide and methane that contribute to climate change.
The use of these energy sources also creates air and water pollution at every step of the process, which harms the health of children living near these energy production facilities—the majority of whom are children of color or children from low wealth families.
These families tend to pay a higher percentage of their income towards energy, but are more likely to lack heat and air conditioning (AC). Children are more vulnerable to temperature extremes than adults, making the availability of heat and AC even more crucial. Power outages can lead to food spoilage, foodborne illness, or food insecurity. They can also have an effect on refrigerated medications or frozen breast milk supplies. Lack of power limits technology use and widens the education gap. Furthermore, the consumption of predominantly wealthy white communities drives a disproportionate amount of GHGs and co-pollutants, yet people of color disproportionately suffer from the impacts of these emissions.
These gasses trap heat, warm the earth, and cause climate change. Climate change presents serious threats to children’s health and safety. These include physical injury and mental health issues from climate events, respiratory illness from smog, an increase in infectious diseases as a result of rising temperatures, food insecurity, displacement, and the disruption of valuable services, treatment, and education.
By Bri'kiae Morton, Age 10.
Transitioning to cleaner, renewable energy sources is essential to safeguarding the well-being of our children and ensuring a healthier future for them. Luckily, there has been a recent influx of funding from the IRA to the Zero Emission Technologies Grant Program which funds work being done to reduce GHG emissions and create equitable energy solutions. It is crucial that energy and climate solutions be equitable so as not to put any community at risk over another. There is still quite a lot of work to be done, however. Making our world safer and healthier for children is as important as ever. We all deserve access to energy and to live in a healthy, breathable world.
What you can do:
We can all take actions to reduce our energy consumption and to promote clean and renewable energy. Often it starts with learning and sharing! Some simple steps you can take include:
- Take what you learn from these resources and talk with your neighbors about clean energy.
- Ask your electricity provider about clean energy sources.
- Seek an energy audit and have your home weatherized to reduce energy consumption and save money.
- Turn off lights and unplug appliances when not in use.
- Walk, bike, or take public transportation as often as possible, rather than driving.
- Become a community advocate for clean and renewable energy solutions.
- Ask your congressional leaders to prioritize clean and renewable energy solutions.
- Share your clean energy advocacy story with us.
To learn more about energy, energy sources, energy justice, and how our over-reliance on fossil fuels harm children’s health, check out our new infographics (click each image to download):
By Darryl Scott, Age 8.