AIR QUALITY

Climate change is exacerbating air pollution through increased wildfires, ground-level ozone, and longer allergy seasons, posing severe health risks to children. Children are uniquely vulnerable due to their developing organs and higher breathing rates. The document highlights that 2°C of global warming could increase childhood asthma cases by 4% and notes that wildfire smoke is ten times more harmful to the respiratory health of children aged five or younger than other PM2.5 sources. Recommendations include minimizing outdoor exposure during high-pollution events, using HEPA filters, and transitioning away from fossil fuels to improve air quality.

• Children are more susceptible to air pollution than adults because they breathe faster, take in more air per pound of body weight, and have lungs, brains, and organs that are still developing. They also spend more time outdoors and have less control over their environments.
• Climate change worsens air quality by increasing the frequency and intensity of wildfires, driving the production of ground-level ozone during summer heat, and extending allergy seasons for millions of children in the U.S.
• Exposure to air pollution in childhood can lead to lifelong health consequences, including impaired lung and brain development, increased risk of adult diseases, and lower test scores.
• Wildfire smoke is estimated to be ten times more damaging to the respiratory health of children aged five and under compared to other sources of fine particulate matter (PM2.5).
• Global warming of 2°C (3.6°F) is estimated to cause a 4% annual increase in new childhood asthma cases resulting from air pollution exposure, compared to the 1986-2005 baseline.
• Communities of color and low-income communities experience higher levels of harm from air pollution exposure.

APA

Climate Central (2024). AIR QUALITY. https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/7u748gCiL6DCYN4EhfRgQf/c5e2a01c4b6f8626ef4f37e16784a25b/ChildrenAndClimateChange_AirQuality_Final.pdf

Chicago

Climate Central. AIR QUALITY. 2024. https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/7u748gCiL6DCYN4EhfRgQf/c5e2a01c4b6f8626ef4f37e16784a25b/ChildrenAndClimateChange_AirQuality_Final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=AIR QUALITY |date=September 2024 |url=https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/7u748gCiL6DCYN4EhfRgQf/c5e2a01c4b6f8626ef4f37e16784a25b/ChildrenAndClimateChange_AirQuality_Final.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2024air, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{AIR QUALITY}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2024}, month = sep, url = {https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/7u748gCiL6DCYN4EhfRgQf/c5e2a01c4b6f8626ef4f37e16784a25b/ChildrenAndClimateChange_AirQuality_Final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }