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But the most alarming conclusions of the report are what lie ahead for future generations, since climate change is a generational problem. Mass migration, as people retreat from rising seas, threatens conflict and mental health problems, for example. In urban areas, rising temperatures coupled with growing pollution sources will lead to an overall reduction in the quality of life for the next generation.
“The incidence of asthma for instance, we see it is directly related to the environment that the child is in among other variables as well,” said Richard Carmona, a report author who served as surgeon general in the George W. Bush administration. “So I think [reduced] quality of life, I would say, we definitely can say has an impact on children born today. And if we don’t curtail the changes in climate, we can expect that many of these challenges will increase.”
The findings validate the angst that many young people experience when they contemplate the world they will inherit. It’s also a reminder there are people alive right now who have stakes in how hot the planet will be in 2100.
However, the report also shows that there is still time to act to avert some of the most severe health consequences of climate change. Limiting warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius, the goal of the Paris climate agreement, would require coordinated global action that would have immense benefits for health, particularly for young people.
“In a world that matches this ambition, a child born today would see the phaseout of all coal in the UK and Canada by their sixth and 11th birthday; they would see France ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars by their 21st birthday; and they would be 31 years old by the time the world reaches net-zero in 2050, with the UK’s recent commitment to reach this goal one of many to come,” the authors wrote. “The changes seen in this alternate pathway could result in cleaner air, safer cities, and more nutritious food, coupled with renewed investment in health systems and vital infrastructure.”
The report also highlights tactics to adapt to changes in the climate that are unavoidable. These measures include building a global health and climate monitoring system, tracking high climate risk areas in cities, anticipating the spread of disease vectors, and providing plans to cool people off during periods of extreme heat.
“The mitigation and adaptation recommendations in the report are something that I think people should focus attention on, because I want them to know that climate change isn’t a lost cause,” said former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy, who served in the Obama administration. “Health and climate are not unrelated issues; they are directly related.”
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