Where children are born, raised, and educated matters. Children need healthy homes, free of toxins and pollution, access to green space, clean air and water, and refuge from extreme heat to thrive. Climate change strains our efforts to meet these goals by increasing air pollution and the rate of natural disasters, especially fires and floods. Families in poverty or with other medical conditions are notably at risk.
Facing a changing climate can feel daunting, but there is a lot that children’s funders can do, starting with the sense of urgency and power that youth bring to the issue. This conversation introduces children’s funders to a variety of ways they can get involved by building youth decision making processes; focusing on children’s mental health; making safer, healthier educational facilities, and more.