children's health
Credit: Kristina Blokhin/ BigStock Photo ID:196171783
EPA shifts scientists from research to chemical approvals, raising alarm over independence
In a dramatic shake-up, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving dozens of scientists from its research office to chemical review roles, prompting fears of weakened environmental protections.
Lisa Friedman and Hiroko Tabuchi report for The New York Times.
In short:
- EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced that 130 scientists will be reassigned from the agency’s independent research arm to roles approving new chemicals, a long-standing priority of the chemical industry.
- The move is part of a broader deregulatory agenda, including efforts to dismantle key climate protections, and comes with veiled threats that jobs may be cut if scientists don’t comply.
- Critics, including lawmakers and scientists, warn this will politicize research, suppress independent science, and boost corporate influence in decisions that affect public health.
Key quote:
“This so-called ‘reorganization’ is a thinly veiled attempt to extinguish the agency’s world-renowned scientific expertise by shuffling scientists to process chemical reviews for industry.”
— Representative Chellie Pingree, Democrat of Maine
Why this matters:
The implications go far beyond the walls of the EPA. From hormone-disrupting plastics to “forever chemicals” in drinking water, the stuff we breathe, eat, and drink is already loaded with synthetic compounds. Gutting the EPA’s independence and burying its scientists in a flood of industry-backed chemical reviews risks letting even more toxic substances slip through the cracks.
Read more:
- Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities
- Trump’s EPA moves to roll back chemical safety rules
- Trump administration halts EPA science board meeting as agency faces major research cuts
- Trump's EPA appointments raise questions about chemical safety policies
- Former chemical lobbyist now oversees EPA’s new chemical approvals
Keep reading...Show less
Credit: Patrice Bouchard/Unsplash
Most North American bird species are declining as once-safe habitats falter
Bird populations across North America are plummeting, with three-quarters of species in decline even in their most stable habitats, according to a new study.
In short:
- A comprehensive study found that 75% of North America’s bird species declined between 2007 and 2021, including many that were once abundant.
- Habitat loss from farming, coastal development, climate change, and pesticide use are driving declines, even in previously safe areas.
- While overall trends are bleak, some localized bird populations are stable or growing, offering insight for future conservation efforts.
Key quote:
“Those locations where species were once thriving, and where the environment and habitat was once really suitable for them, are now the places where they’re suffering the most.”
— Alison Johnston, ecological statistician, University of St. Andrews and lead researcher of the study
Why this matters:
Birds serve as vital indicators of environmental health. Their decline reflects the widespread degradation of ecosystems that also support human life. As habitats vanish under the pressures of agriculture, urban development, and climate change, the intricate balance sustaining both wildlife and people unravels. The rollback of environmental protections—such as those under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act—further threatens species survival. The weakening health of bird populations often parallels human environmental challenges, like worsening air quality and the spread of contaminants. Understanding and addressing these complex, interconnected threats is essential to protecting both wildlife and the human communities that share their habitats.
Related coverage:
Keep reading...Show less
Newsletter
Youth climate lawsuits persist in U.S. courts despite Supreme Court rejection
A wave of children’s lawsuits using ancient legal principles continues to push governments to address climate change, even after a major setback at the U.S. Supreme Court.
In short:
- Youth-led lawsuits leverage the “public trust doctrine,” asserting that governments must safeguard natural resources for current and future generations.
- Early broad-based efforts largely failed, but newer state-focused cases — like those in Montana and Hawaii — have yielded significant legal victories or settlements.
- Despite the Supreme Court’s March 2025 dismissal of the landmark Juliana v. United States case, legal actions remain active in states like Alaska and Utah.
Key quote:
“A stable climate system … is clearly within the object and true principles” of the state’s constitution.
— Montana Supreme Court
Why this matters:
The surge of youth climate litigation reflects growing frustration with political inaction on climate change and a creative turn to the courts for remedies. While the public trust doctrine began centuries ago as a way to protect waterways for communal use, today’s young plaintiffs are adapting it to argue that governments also have a duty to protect the climate. Their lawsuits underscore the vulnerability of children to the long-term impacts of environmental degradation, including rising temperatures, more extreme weather events, and threats to air and water quality. Victories in states like Montana and Hawaii signal a shift in judicial recognition of climate harms and government accountability, though success varies widely depending on local laws and courts. These cases not only advance legal theories but also capture public attention, pushing climate concerns into mainstream policy debates.
Learn more: Montana Republicans move to weaken environmental protections after youth climate lawsuit victory
Keep reading...Show less
Newsletter
Credit: Ahtziri Lagarde/Unsplash
Rising climate anxiety is reshaping the mental health of young people
As climate disasters increase, young people worldwide are reporting unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression, and fear about the planet’s future.
In short:
- One study shows that nearly 60% of young people globally feel very or extremely worried about climate change, with many reporting impacts on daily functioning.
- Climate-related disasters correlate with long-term mental distress, particularly among teens who have experienced repeated severe weather events.
- Young people often feel ignored when discussing climate fears and are calling for adults to engage more openly and take responsibility.
Key quote:
“It’s the people who have contributed the least to the problem who are facing the challenge of dealing with the consequences.”
— Emma Lawrance, Climate Care Center lead at Imperial College London and study co-author
Why this matters:
Climate change is a growing public health crisis, especially for the young. The developing brains of children and adolescents are especially vulnerable to psychological distress, and the overwhelming exposure to climate-related disasters, dire predictions, and perceived adult inaction amplifies feelings of fear, helplessness, and anger. This distress can have long-term effects on mental health, academic performance, and social development. Researchers are documenting a surge in depression, anxiety, and PTSD symptoms tied directly to climate fears, with some young people reconsidering life choices such as having children. Lower-income and marginalized communities, often hardest hit by climate disasters, face additional mental health burdens due to fewer resources and support systems.
Related EHN coverage: How to address the looming crisis of climate anxiety
Keep reading...Show less
Newsletter
Credit: Photo by jessie zhang/Unsplash
US Senate votes to ease regulations on toxic air pollution from industry
In a historic rollback of Clean Air Act protections, the U.S. Senate voted to let polluters off the hook for controlling the most dangerous air pollutants, with the House of Representatives and President Trump expected to follow suit.
In short:
- The Senate voted 52-46 to overturn a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that required constant pollution controls for seven of the most dangerous airborne toxins, including mercury and dioxins.
- The rule, which President Biden finalized last year, had forced over 1,800 industrial sites to clean up emissions that cause cancer, brain damage, and other serious illnesses.
- If the House votes to overturn the rule and Trump signs it, this will mark the first time in the Clean Air Act’s 55-year history that Congress has rolled back protections under the law.
Key quote:
“Repealing this rule would be such a giveaway to corporate polluters. These facilities could increase their toxic pollution without any accountability or oversight.”
— Nathan Park, an associate legislative representative at Earthjustice
Why this matters:
Proponents of overturning the rule say it is burdensome to business. But the action would weaken protections for low-income communities and communities of color living near industrial plants — places that are often already burdened by high cancer rates and toxic exposure. Taking action to scale back Clean Air Act protections is a first for Congress, and a victory for the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries that had lobbied to overturn the regulation.
Read more from EHN:
Keep reading...Show less
UN
Credit: Jonathan Ansel Moy de Vitry/Unsplash
Indigenous youth from around the world demand action for climate justice at UN summit
Young Indigenous leaders from six continents gathered at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to confront climate change, land rights violations, and government inaction.
In short:
- Indigenous youth from Greenland to Ghana highlighted the urgent threats facing their communities, including climate change, deforestation, and political disenfranchisement, at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
- Several participants, including leaders from Ukraine, Bangladesh, and Canada, described how systemic racism, armed conflict, and state-sponsored discrimination continue to endanger Indigenous rights and survival.
- Despite facing reduced international support, especially from the United States under the Trump administration, these young activists remain committed to advocating for their cultures, lands, and futures.
Key quote:
“No matter what happens we will stand, and we will fight, and we will keep pushing for solutions.”
— Joshua Amponsem, founder of Green Africa Youth Organization
Why this matters:
Indigenous peoples protect 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity, but they often have the least political power to defend their lands and ways of life. As climate change accelerates and industrial pressures grow, Indigenous youth are stepping forward to protect not just their communities but ecosystems critical to global health. Their activism exposes a growing gap between international promises and on-the-ground realities: Many governments, while endorsing Indigenous rights at the UN, undermine them at home through land grabs, resource extraction, and discriminatory laws. In the Amazon, Greenland, Ukraine, and beyond, Indigenous youth are living through twin crises of climate change and political marginalization, often risking personal safety to demand basic rights.
Keep reading...Show less
Newsletter
Credit: Егор Камелев/Unsplash
Climate change drives infectious disease shifts through air, water, and mosquitoes
As the planet warms, infectious diseases transmitted through air, water, and vectors like mosquitoes are expanding into new regions, complicating public health responses worldwide.
In short:
- Warmer temperatures and extreme weather events are fueling the spread of respiratory, waterborne, and mosquito-borne diseases by creating favorable conditions for pathogens and vectors.
- Urbanization, habitat disruption, and human migration are intensifying vulnerability to infectious diseases, especially in low-resource areas with fragile public health systems.
- Community-driven actions like waste cleanup and larval source reduction, combined with climate-linked early warning systems, are emerging as critical strategies to fight disease outbreaks.
Key quote:
"You have this convergence of crises—the climate crisis overlapping with the pollution crisis."
— Angelle Desiree LaBeaud, physician-scientist, epidemiologist, and professor in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stanford University’s School of Medicine
Why this matters:
Infectious diseases no longer respect the seasonal and geographic boundaries that once shaped their spread. As the climate warms, mosquito-borne viruses like dengue and Zika are creeping into new territories, while bacteria flourish in floodwaters and heat-stricken soils. Rapid urbanization and conflict-driven displacement further accelerate the problem, exposing millions to new health threats with little warning. Public health systems, especially in the Global South, are often ill-equipped to adapt, lacking affordable diagnostics, treatments, or comprehensive surveillance. Meanwhile, plastic pollution compounds the crisis, offering breeding grounds for disease vectors and surfaces for antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. The environmental and health consequences ripple outward, affecting ecosystems, economies, and human lives across borders.
Related EHN coverage: Pollution, climate change and the Global Burden of Disease
Keep reading...Show less
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
