The Future of Everything The future of children’s health
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May 2, 2025 Lisa Patel, a pediatrician and environmental health expert, dives deep into the alarming impact of pollution on children's health, linking issues like asthma and pneumonia to wildfires, fossil fuels, and plastics. She offers hopeful solutions, from DIY air filters to cleaner energy choices. Patel emphasizes community action to combat these challenges and advocates for reducing meat consumption and using electric vehicles for better air quality. Join the conversation about protecting the next generation's health through informed choices and local activism.
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Lisa Patel's Climate Focus Origin
- Lisa Patel shifted focus to environmental health after the US withdrew from the Paris Agreement in 2017 and wildfires worsened.
- This motivated her to address the impacts of climate change on children's health as a pediatrician and mother.
Fossil Fuels' Huge Health Toll
- Fossil fuels benefited us but cause huge health costs including more premature deaths than tobacco worldwide.
- Wildfires driven by climate change erase air quality gains, worsening children's lung health.
Prenatal Pollution Exposure Risks
- Pollution exposure begins before birth as PM2.5 crosses the placenta, affecting fetal brain and lung development.
- Long-term PM2.5 exposure increases risks of asthma, cancer, heart disease, and dementia from early childhood onward.