Students from Castaic High School walk past a plume caused by the Route Fire in Castaic on Aug. 31, 2022. Photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP PhotoMore than 100 high school and middle school students across California submitted opinion pieces to CalMatters’ inaugural Earth Day contest. The contest theme was “How have changes in climate impacted your community?”Andrew Zhou is a junior at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino.
Power outages were the latest in a string of climate-related disruptions from wildfire smoke, heat, drought and floods over the past year. It was really taking a toll on me both physically and mentally., schools and communities need to make student health and education a top priority in the battle against climate change.
. Wildfire smoke triggered my asthma in 2020, which, the report warns, can cause pneumonia, neuropsychological effects and a higher lifetime risk for cancer.By clicking subscribe, you agree to share your email address with CalMatters to receive marketing, updates, and other emails.Perhaps the worst effects of climate-related extreme events are declines in students’ mental health due to post-traumatic stress.
These measures can keep us healthy as climate change-induced crises become more frequent. The California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment in 2018that the frequency of extreme wildfires would increase by nearly 50%, and that the average area burned statewide would increase by 77% by 2100. The megaflood we are experiencing now and the megadrought that gripped the southwestern U.S. for the past two decades are all unprecedented.