Contact: Sasha Tenenbaum, stenenbaum@momscleanairforce.org, (917) 887-0146
Featured discussions focused on the unique vulnerabilities of young people to the impacts of climate disruption and air pollution and explored the paths to cleaner air for all.
Washington, DC – Moms Clean Air Force, a community of more than 1.5 million moms, dads, and caregivers who are uniting for clean air and their kids’ health, welcomed Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan and Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation, as well as leading researchers, policymakers, mental health experts, doctors, and environmental justice advocates to its inaugural Climate Disruption, Air Pollution, and Young People’s Health summit yesterday.
The keynote conversations and panel discussions highlighted the physical and mental health impacts of air pollution, climate change, and extreme weather on children and their families. Speakers called for action at the local, state, federal, and international levels for stronger standards to protect children’s health.
In a moderated conversation with Grace Bastidas, editor-in-chief of Parents, which live-streamed the event, Ms. Clinton noted that, “We know in our current climate, the dangers are particularly acute for our youngest. We know that extreme heat is dangerous for infants and toddlers, and we also know that for many families it is still important to be outside because it may be cooler and better ventilated than accessible indoor spaces. So how can we make the outdoors more hospitable and more nurturing of brain development? We have to work in parallel tracks. We need to work to decarbonize our world and tackle everything we know is accelerating the climate crisis going forward—and we also need to do all that we can to help kids and families today. This needs to be done in a way that is both intentional and conveys a sense of urgency.”
Administrator Regan offered similar sentiments in his moderated conversation with Ms. Bastidas, stressing to the audience that, when it comes to addressing the problems of climate change on health, “Young people don’t want to wait, they want to be heard. We have engaged young people from across the country and have extracted so many good ideas. We want to continue to harness their energy and their insights. The way through an adult’s heart is through children, and when we strategically engage and give our children a voice, we will see a systematic change. Every child in this country deserves access to clean air and clean water and the best messengers for that sentiment are children.”
Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council Environmental Quality (CEQ), said, “We are looking for access to clean air and clean water. Too many people for too long have not received their environmental basic rights, and we see ourselves charting a path for success. Moms Clean Air Force’s work has been and continues to be helpful as we move forward with our agenda.”
Dominique Browning, Director & Co-Founder of Moms Clean Air Force, summed up the entirety of the program, and all the remarks by the keynote speakers and panelists, into clear focus. She said, “We are in a period of enormous and vital progress. Children’s health and justice for all children has been moved to the center of the conversation, and we’re not done yet. Babies, children, and young adults have unique vulnerabilities to air pollution, to climate disruption, and to toxic chemicals. One of our most important lessons learned is the importance of showing up, and I extend a heartfelt thank you to our moms and our esteemed speakers for showing up today.”
In addition to the keynote addresses, panelists discussed the effects of wildfires and heat waves on pediatrics, highlighted the communities that are most likely to be disrupted by the effects of the climate crisis and a lack of clean air, as well as unpacked the dangerous and harmful impacts of plastics on everyday life. Panelists also illuminated the toll these challenges have on children’s mental health.
Panelists included Dr. Lise Van Susteren, general and forensic psychiatrist; Dr. Lisa Patel, Executive Director for the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health; Paul Billings, National Senior Vice President of Public Policy for the American Lung Association; Nsedu Obot Witherspoon, Executive Director for the Children’s Environmental Health Network; Judith Enck, President of Beyond Plastics, former Regional Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Professor at Bennington College; Dr. Susan Anenberg, Professor and Chair of the Environmental and Occupational Health Department at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, and Director of the GW Climate and Health Institute; Aishah-Nyeta Brown, climate advocate, researcher, and storyteller, and Social Media Manager for Good Energy Stories and the Climate Mental Health Network; Osasenaga Idahor, pre-med track student at Harvard College concentrating in Environmental Science and Public Policy, and National Environmental Youth Advisory Council Member, U.S. EPA; and Patrice Tomcik, National Field Director of Moms Clean Air Force.
Photos from the Climate Disruption, Air Pollution, and Young People’s Health Summit and clips of Administrator Regan and Chelsea Clinton speaking can be found here.