Jonathan Patz Op-Ed on Poor Air Quality During Summer 2023
Sick of the dirty air? Because of inaction, you might have to get used to it
Article Author: Jonathan Patz, MD, MPH
Wisconsin air quality issues will become more common as the continued burning of fossil fuels heats the planet and threatens the health and well-being of people of all ages.
Wisconsin’s air quality issues this month are likely a harbinger of what’s going to continue to happen if we fail to address climate challenges. June 2023 will go down in history as some of the worst wildfire smoke exposures across the country we’ve ever seen. And it’s likely to get worse as time goes on.
“Without timely climate action, the dangerous air quality warnings from the East Coast, and now Wisconsin, could become the norm.”
Canada is on track to have its worst wildfire season on record, and it's only June. The smoke that hovered over the East Coast for nearly a week earlier this month not only put individuals who struggle with asthma, lung or heart issues in danger of serious health problems, but also posed a threat to anyone who happened to breathe in particles from the toxic plume. The same issue is facing Wisconsin and Midwest residents this week.
Fine particulate matter is one of the top environmental health concerns as it is estimated to contribute to as many as 8.9 million premature deaths per year globally. Since wildfires and droughts have increased dramatically in the past decades, due in part to climate change, experts expect additional premature mortality and increased hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular incidents due to the particulate matter in smoke.
In Montana, 16 Montana youngsters captured worldwide attention in their fight for their constitutional rights to a clean and healthful environment.
Ironically, a clean and healthful environment is the subject of a trial (Held v. State of Montana) that took place from June 12 to June 21 in Helena, Montana. The 16 young Montanans filed a constitutional climate lawsuit against the state in March 2020. The youth allege that the state of Montana, by supporting a fossil fuel-driven energy system that worsens the climate crisis, is violating their constitutional right to a “clean and healthful environment,” to seek safety, health and happiness, and to individual dignity and equal protection under the law.
In fact, Article IX, Section 1 of the Montana state constitution reads, “the state and each person shall maintain and improve a clean and healthful environment in Montana for present and future generations.”
A Bike Commuter
Biking for transportation lessens our reliance on fossil fuels. Photo Credit: Bryce Richter
I had the privilege of observing the first few days of the trial, listening to the expert testimony and watching the young plaintiffs tell their stories. Much of what they brought forward could apply to virtually any state, including Wisconsin and other areas of the country that are now blanketed in a smoky haze that contains harmful particulates.
Young people feel disregarded about their rights to clean air and water. The young people who brought forth this challenge, under legal guidance from Our Children’s Trust, could set a precedent for other states in the context of climate change’s adverse impacts on youth.
Pediatrician Lori Byron testified that children are more vulnerable to the negative health consequences from both air pollution and heat waves. She noted that “children are not small adults” and are “disproportionately harmed by climate change.” Children have higher metabolic rates, sweat less and spend more time outdoors, making them more vulnerable during heat waves. Children also have higher ventilation rates (breathe faster) than adults, and thus comparatively inhale more pollution.
On the witness stand, many of the Montana youths expressed anxiety due to uncertainty of what the future holds for them. Psychiatrist Lise Van Susteren, well-known for her research on the mental health effects of climate change, testified on June 16. She has documented increases in anxiety, depression and despair, and a growing feeling of anger and powerlessness. She described how children are more susceptible to the impacts of climate change due to unique characteristics, like their dependency on adults, their brains and bodies still not being fully developed, and an increased exposure and cumulative toll of trauma.
“The kids have told you this week very compellingly how their world is different,” she said. “They are very aware of something called intergenerational injustices. Their world is spinning out of their control, and they have firsthand experience.”
Forest ecology professor Steve Running testified about how human-caused climate change is amplifying the hydrologic cycle, whereby wet areas are getting wetter and dry areas are getting drier. Climate change has shortened the snowpack season by several weeks, resulting in the drying of mountain forests and an increase in the intensity and frequency of wildfires each summer, not just in Montana but in many areas of North America.
Without timely climate action, the dangerous air quality warnings from the East Coast, and now Wisconsin, could become the norm. Running explained how climate impacts are harmful for the youth plaintiffs and that the severity of their injuries would only get worse if Montana’s reliance on fossil fuels continues. Earth’s energy imbalance, he said, would become much worse by the end of the century, during the plaintiffs’ lifetimes.
There are steps every state can take to make a real difference today in what the future looks like related to climate change and its hazards. For instance, instead of approving new coal-generated power plants, look to other energy sources first — solar, wind, nuclear. All are viable energy sources that will help Wisconsin, Montana and other states grappling with citizens who seek a clean and healthful environment.
Whatever the outcome of the trial in Montana, these young people are sending a clear message to their state government, the nation and the world. There is no longer room for legislative inaction to address the continued burning of fossil fuels heating the planet and threatening the health and well-being of people of all ages, no matter where they live.