Moms Clean Air Force is excited to welcome Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, to our Climate Disruption, Air Pollution, and Young Peoples’ Health event, live-streamed exclusively by Parents, on February 8.
Chelsea is a longtime public health advocate, dedicated climate champion, and mother of three. She has consistently voiced her concerns about the state of our planet, endangered species, and the importance of prioritizing public health in the face of climate disruption. Through the Clinton Foundation’s early childhood initiative Too Small to Fail, she is looking back on 10 years of partnering with communities to support children and families—and exploring new solutions for prioritizing children’s health in the face of climate change.
From the moment she became a mom, she opened up about the urgency she felt to take action in the midst of alarming signs that the climate is warming.
“More than anything, I want my kids and all our children to live in a peaceful, healthy, and prosperous world. That’s why I feel a renewed responsibility to protect our planet from the devastating impact of climate change.”
At the same time, she was thinking about environmental justice, acknowledging that low-income communities of color are more burdened by pollution and toxic chemicals than wealthier, predominantly white communities.
“Not another … day should pass where we don’t recognize this injustice, take responsibility for solving it, and move quickly to ensure that no child grows up in a community besieged by pollution, in its air, its water, or its soil.”
Fast forward to 2019, Chelsea reinforced her dedication to the planet and its wildlife by writing the children’s book Don’t Let Them Disappear: 12 Endangered Species Across the Globe. The book not only introduces young readers to endangered animals but also provides practical tips for preventing their extinction.
Chelsea was inspired by conversations she had with children. She found that young kids care deeply about animals and the environment.
“We need to be listening to young people and responding to their desire to help make the world a healthier, more sustainable place, and try to empower them to do just that,” she shared.
A couple of years later, in an episode of her podcast—In Fact With Chelsea Clinton—Chelsea explored how climate disruption is upending public health. Extreme weather events, air pollution, and rising temperatures all pose a threat to our health—both physical and mental.
“And of course, climate change also has an impact on our mental health from fear and anxiety to post-traumatic stress disorder among people who have survived natural disasters. And while it can be tempting to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem, that’s the last thing we can afford to do.”
It’s clear that Chelsea is a climate hero who uses her platform to foreground the issues that matter most to the young people in her life—peace, justice, and health. Tune in on February 8 to hear more from this inspiring advocate!
REGISTER FOR CLIMATE DISRUPTION, AIR POLLUTION, AND YOUNG PEOPLES HEALTH