Source: CBS

Excerpt:

Climate change affects the weather, the air we breathe and the stability of our surroundings — and children’s health is especially vulnerable to the poor air quality, longer allergy seasons, infectious diseases and extreme heat that make climate change a public health threat.

Children’s bodies are still developing. They don’t have control of their surroundings. And kids who aren’t White, whose families are low-income or who don’t speak much English will be hit the hardest if temperatures rise, according to a new report published Tuesday by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Researchers examined what would happen if the world warms 2 degrees Celsius — it’s already up 1.1 degrees from pre-industrial levels, despite global leaders’ pledges to limit it to 1.5 degrees — and if it warms by 4 degrees.

Read more: From ER visits to homelessness, here are 4 ways climate change is expected to affect children