Limiting carbon emissions to 25 percent over 10 years in just 12 states could save 60,000 birth defects, autism diagnoses and infant deaths per year, studies claim.
Researchers at Columbia University simulated changes in air pollution between 2022 and 2032, finding that the hypothetical emissions cap would come from investments in electric vehicles and mass transit.
Reducing nitrogen oxides, ammonia and particulate matter in the air through this combination, with most of the resources spent on public transport, could lead to 58,000 fewer cases of asthma attacks and breathing problems.
According to the study, state lawmakers should limit carbon emissions from regulated fuel suppliers and gas-powered vehicles to reflect their findings.
Electric vehicles can save minors between the ages of five and seventeen from major health problems
Switching to electric vehicles would reduce asthma attacks, infant mortality and autism by nearly 60,000 in twelve US states alone
“Climate policies can have major impacts not only on the climate, but also on environmental health and justice,” said senior author Jonathan Buonocore, assistant professor of Environmental Health at Boston University School of Public Health.
“Our research shows how important it is to consider these other benefits of policies when evaluating climate policies,” he added.
Researchers from Columbia University’s Milman School of Public Health ffocused on the impact that limiting carbon emissions would have on the health of minors in twelve northeastern states, including MaineNew York, Maryland, ConnecticutAnd Pennsylvania.
Traffic is one of the leading causes of carbon pollution in the US and is responsible for 28 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the country, yet demand for electric vehicles continues to decline.
National demand for electric vehicles fell from 76 percent in 2022 to 50 percent last year, as states like California aim to ban gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035.
They looked at three CO2 emissions caps of 20 percent, 22 percent and 25 percent and combined each cap into three different investment strategies, including diversified, hybrid and Max GHG.
The diversified strategy prioritized improvements in public transport and active mobility, while the Max GHG scenario focused on switching to cleaner fuels and using more electric vehicles.
Meanwhile, the hybrid strategy was a combination of both diversified and maximum greenhouse gas scenarios.
Researchers found that the combination of the highest CO2 limit of 25 percent and the diversified scenario provided the most health benefits for children and infants in more than half of the potential health outcomes.
In this scenario, the team estimated that it could avoid 95 percent of asthma attacks that would have required medical attention, avoid 99 percent upper and lower airway problems, and avoid 95 percent premature birth.
Researchers said in the study that it would be up to state lawmakers to pass a Transportation and Climate Initiative that would put a cap on CO2 emissions from gas-powered vehicles.
The initiative would also require regulated fuel suppliers to buy CO2 allowances at auction.
Proceeds from the auction would be invested in clean transportation programs and projects, including the transition to electric vehicles and an emphasis on public transportation.
“Assessments of health benefits often ignore children’s health outcomes,” said co-author Frederica Perera, professor of environmental health sciences at the Columbia Mailman Center for Children’s Environmental Health.
“Yet we know that early exposure to air pollutants has multiple harmful effects on the health and well-being of children, and these are preventable.”
Asthma attacks in the US would decrease by more than 130,000 per state if the country adopted fully electric vehicles by 2050
Air pollutants have been found to cause inflammation and oxidative stress in the body during pregnancy, which could disrupt a baby’s normal brain development.
Exposure can also disrupt the growth and development of the fetus’s nervous system, which can lead to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism.
“Exposure to pollutants such as particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been associated with an increased likelihood of being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children,” according to Above and Beyond.
The Columbia University study shows that replacing gas-powered vehicles with electric cars and public transportation will prevent more than 58,000 cases of infant mortality, premature birth, low birth weight, autism spectrum disorder, new cases of asthma, worsened asthma symptoms and other respiratory diseases. would be avoided.
The study suggested that lawmakers should impose caps on carbon emissions, with researchers saying this could not only save minors but could also have a positive impact on climate change.
“Ambitious carbon limits and policies that target vulnerable groups, including children, can both improve health outcomes and help mitigate the impacts of climate change,” said lead author Alique Berberian, a graduate student researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles.
“Children’s bodies are developing physically, which can make them more vulnerable to climate-related hazards such as heat and poor air quality,” the statement said. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
It added: ‘They also breathe faster, increasing their exposure to dangerous air pollutants.’
According to the 2023 State of the Air report, more than 27 million children in the U.S. live in counties with unhealthy levels for at least one air pollutant.
Meanwhile, a new report also details that the rising number of climate-induced extreme weather events is disproportionately affecting children’s health.
Long-term exposure to air pollution from wildfire smoke or extreme heat can harm adolescent lung function, cause heat-related stress and affect fetal development.
Exposure to particulate pollution during pregnancy can lead to premature birth, low birth weight, miscarriage and stillbirth.
A separate report from the American Lung Association found that switching to all-electric vehicles nationwide could prevent roughly 2.8 million childhood asthma attacks and more than 500 childhood deaths by 2050.
Other studies have suggested that breathing pollution during pregnancy may increase the risk of autism in children, with the risk appearing to be greater for boys.
‘Prenatal exposure to air pollution, especially during critical periods of brain development, has been identified as a potential risk factor for autism,’ Therapy from above and beyond reported.