In 1981, evidence of global warming first emerged less than a month later home pageThe The New York Times asked BF Skinner About the fate of humanity. The renowned psychologist recently argued that a feature of the human brain virtually guarantees global environmental disaster. “Why don't we take action to save our world?” Skinner asked, citing the myriad threats to the planet.
His answer: Human behavior is almost entirely controlled by our experiences—in particular, by which actions have been rewarded or punished in the past. The future, which has not yet happened, will never have that much influence on what we do; We will seek familiar rewards today – money, comfort, security, pleasure, power – even if doing so threatens everyone on the planet tomorrow.
Skinner was one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century, yet he rarely gets credit for foreknowledge of this warning, which predicted the behavior of fossil fuel executives and politicians for the next four decades. I have wrestled with this often. I am a pediatrician in Reno, Nevada 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 preferences change. I believe that in 2025, the harm being done to children will become so obvious and immediate that parents – sleeping giants in the climate fight – will wake up to what the fossil fuel industry has done.
For example, over the past decade, my city has been darkened for long periods of time by wildfire smoke coming from California; 65 million Americans, Much of the West now experiences such a “smoke crisis.” Everyone understands that smoking causes respiratory problems; When the air becomes dangerous we all cough and wheeze for weeks. What fewer people understand is that children are at greater risk from these events for a number of reasons, mostly related to their different physiology, smaller size, and immature organs – which, because they are still developing, are more vulnerable to environmental influences. Are very sensitive to injury. children's lungsFor example, they are literally shaped by the quality of the air they breathe. Children who breathe particle pollution for long periods of time – such as those living in the most polluted neighborhoods of Los Angeles – develop smaller, stiffer lungs.
In 2025, the media will realize that the damage caused by these small pollutants is even more profound. That's because a growing body of science shows that fine and ultrafine particles, typically bound to toxic chemicals and heavy metals in wildfire smoke and exhaust, are causing brain injuries in children. . Worryingly, they are contributing to the epidemic-like rise of autism Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as increased likelihood of learning disabilities, behavioral issues, and later dementia,
Why? Because these small pollutants do not stay in the lungs; They invade the bloodstream and enter other organs, including the brain – which, like the lungs, is still growing and developing in a baby, and thus more vulnerable to damage.
Evidence of neurological effects of particles comes from brain imaging, histology, and epidemiology. We know that even before birth, particles inhaled by pregnant women Can cross the placenta and cause fetal injury; MRI studies in several countries have shown altered brain structure Among prenatally exposed children, 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 adults Mexico CityNotorious for its bad air, they found fossil fuel particles coated in Alzheimer's-like plaques embedded in the prefrontal cortex.
More than a decade of epidemiological studies around the world have revealed evidence of an association between autism and ADHD. one in multi-year study For example, in approximately 300,000 children in Southern California, prenatal exposure to PM2.5 (the smallest particle regulated by law) was found to increase autism rates significantly. And more from a recent study 164,000 children in China It was found that long-term exposure to particulate matter increases the risk of ADHD. Although autism and ADHD are complex disorders with both genetic and environmental causes, it is becoming clear that air pollution – caused by fossil fuels and worsening due to climate change – is a significant risk factor.