In 1981, it was reported less than a month after evidence of global warming front pageThe The New York Times asked BF Skinner About the destiny of humanity. The famous psychologist recently argued that a feature of the human brain guarantees global environmental catastrophe. “Why don’t we act to save our world?” asked Skinner, referring to the myriad threats to the planet.
His answer: Human behavior is governed almost entirely by our experiences—specifically, by which actions in the past have been rewarded or punished. The future, which has not yet happened, will never have the same effect on our actions; We will seek known rewards today – money, comfort, security, pleasure, power – even if doing so threatens everyone on Earth tomorrow.
Skinner was one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, yet he rarely gets credit for the insight of this warning, which predicted the behavior of fossil fuel executives and politicians for the next four decades. I have often wrestled with this. I am a pediatrician in Reno, Nevada The fastest warming city In America I look into the eyes of babies, children and teenagers every day. Skinner argued that only when the consequences of environmental destruction move from “yesterday” to “today” will our choices change. I believe that in 2025, the harms to children will be so clear and immediate that parents—the sleeping giants in the climate fight—will wake up to what the fossil fuel industry has done.
Over the past decade, for example, my city has been darkened for long periods by wildfire smoke from California; 65 million Americans, Most in the West, now experience such a “smog crisis”. Everyone understands that smoke causes respiratory problems; We all cough and wheeze when the air becomes dangerous for weeks at a time. Few people realize that children are at greater risk of these events for a number of reasons, mostly related to their different anatomy, small size, and immature organs—that is, because they are still developing. are very vulnerable to environmental injury. Children’s lungsFor example, they are literally shaped by the quality of the air they breathe. Children who breathe in particulate pollution for long periods of time — such as those living in the most polluted areas of Los Angeles — develop smaller, stiffer lungs.
In 2025, the media will realize that the damage from these small pollutants is even more profound. That’s because a growing body of science shows that fine and ultrafine particles, laced with toxic chemicals and heavy metals in wildfire smoke and emissions, are causing brain injuries in children. Alarmingly, they appear to be contributing to the epidemic-like growth of autism and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and later complications Mental retardation.
Why? Because these small pollutants do not stay in the lungs; They invade the bloodstream and penetrate other organs, including the brain – which, like the lungs, is still growing and developing in the baby, and thus more susceptible to damage.
Evidence for the neurological effects of particulate matter comes from brain imaging, histology, and epidemiology. We know that even before birth, Particles inhaled by pregnant women May cross the placenta and cause fetal harm; MRI studies in several countries have shown Altered brain architecture Among children exposed before birth, many of whom struggled with cognition and behavior. After birth, particles can also enter the prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain behind the forehead – after being inhaled through the nose. When scientists studied the brains of children and young people Mexico CityNotorious for its foul air, they found fossil fuel particles embedded in the prefrontal cortex, encased in Alzheimer-like plaques.
Over a decade of epidemiological studies around the world have revealed evidence of a link between autism and ADHD. In A Multi-year study Among nearly 300,000 children in Southern California, for example, prenatal exposure to PM2.5 (the smallest particulate matter regulated by law) was found to significantly increase autism rates. And a recent study of the over 164,000 children in China found that long-term exposure to fine particles increased the odds of ADHD. Although autism and ADHD are complex disorders with both genetic and environmental causes, it is becoming increasingly clear that air pollution—produced by fossil fuels and worsening due to climate change—is an important risk factor.
