Climate action for our kids

Mothers care about climate change — and it's putting them and their kids at risk

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day in North America, and here at Talking Climate we have babies on the brain! The two women who help me with this newsletter—Sonia, who drafts the stories I curate, and McKenzie, who crafts the visuals and format that makes it look good—each welcomed a beautiful new baby just this past week.

This week brought back a lot of memories for me. There’s nothing like holding a newborn to remind us of what really matters, is there? It’s hard to believe that my own son, Gavin, is heading off to the University of Toronto next year. I still remember how protective I felt when he was just a tiny baby. And honestly, when I stop to think about it, I still feel the same way today.

Once you care about a child in the world, everything shifts. You understand in an even more visceral way what it means to protect their future. And that’s what motivates so many of us to act on climate: because it’s a way to love our children—and everyone’s children—through our choices, our voices, and our votes.

Loving a child is like placing the most precious possible bet on a better tomorrow: a bet we cannot afford to lose.

The data is clear: “across every country, love for the next generation is the dominant reason for action on climate change.” And when we look at who’s particularly in support, mothers immediately rise to the top.

In the U.S., 81% of mothers surveyed are worried about climate change. Even more, 93%, agreed with the statement that “we have a moral responsibility to create a safe and healthy climate for ourselves and our children.” We all want a safe and secure future for our children and their children.

Women in general are more likely to list climate and environment issues as a top voting priority, according to new findings that 62% of “climate voters” are women. Given the age demographics, the authors wondered, “Do mothers and grandmothers make up the core of the climate voting population?” The voter data doesn’t specify, but the report suggests this should be investigated further!

So what better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than by supporting everyone who’s helping ensure every child has clean air to breathe, safe water to drink, and a future filled with hope and opportunity? To me, that’s what love in action truly looks like.

Sadly, climate change is already harming mothers and children in many ways.

Starting with conception, rising temperatures and air pollution take their toll. Heat stress can disrupt the menstrual cycle and lower sperm quality, making it more difficult to get pregnant. Air pollution compounds these effects: a study in China found that a moderate increase in air pollution reduced fertility rates by 20%. It’s not just about getting pregnant; it’s about staying pregnant, too. Exposure to dirty air increases the risk of miscarriages by more than 10%. For those using IVF, the risks are even greater. An Australian study found that air pollution can reduce the likelihood of a live birth by nearly 40%.

Mental health also suffers. Pregnant and postpartum women are especially vulnerable to heat, pollution, and lack of cooling. A California study found that postpartum depression was much more common among mothers who were exposed to greater heat and air pollution, and who didn’t have access to green space. And it doesn’t stop there: infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to heat stress and more likely to be harmed by climate-related disasters. And just last week, a new study calculated that hundreds of millions of children will be exposed to unprecedented climate extremes as the world warms.

On top of all of this, women are disproportionately impacted by climate change. I’ve written before about how climate change is increasing child marriages in Malawi. In South Sudan, flooding forced Veronika, a mother of five, to flee her home. Now she lives in an internally displaced persons camp, trying to grow enough food to feed her family in a tiny patch of dry land. “In my previous life, I was cultivating pumpkins, maize, cucumber, okra, and watermelon,” she says. “In the camp there is not enough space to cultivate [crops] as we are surrounded by floods. It’s not enough.”

I know these stories are hard to read—but they show us why climate change matters to almost everyone, and they explain why so many parents and grandparents are being motivated to fight for climate action. If you’d like to join them, read on!

Photo by Mothers Out Front

One of the most effective climate actions any of us can take is to join a group. Together, our voices are amplified and become even more powerful. That’s especially true when it comes to parents—because who has a louder voice than a parent? Around the world, mothers (and fathers too, plus grandparents and more!) are stepping up and speaking out for the health and future of all kids, everywhere.

There’s even a scientific study that analyzes this. You probably won’t be surprised to learn researchers found that the number of parent groups is growing around the world. That means that, wherever you live, there’s likely a group you can join.

In Canada, we have For Our Kids, a network of parents and grandparents across Canada who engage others in their communities to take climate action. In Quebec, there’s Mères au Front (Mothers at the Front), with 30 local groups of mothers across the province where members call on the government to take concrete climate action.

In the U.S., I’m a big fan of Moms Clean Air Force, a group of more than 1.5 million parents, and Mothers Out Front, that includes over 35,000 mothers and other caregivers advocating for climate action and a resilient future. I’m also a founding member of Science Moms, a nonpartisan climate advocacy group of climate scientists and moms whose website provides all kinds of resources you can use to talk about climate change with your kids, regardless of where you live.

In the UK, Mothers’ Climate Action Network brings mothers together to discuss climate change and find places to create positive changes in their communities, while Mothers Rise Up helps mothers to call for collective action on climate change.

In Australia, there’s Parents for Climate Action who are empowering Aussie parents to champion climate action in their communities, the media, businesses and politics (that’s a great list!). In India, the amazing Warrior Moms are fighting for clean air and a healthy future for their kids.

Globally, there’s Our Kids’ Climate that’s working in 50 countries to protect children from the climate crisis, and Parents For Future who have national chapters in 26 countries including many in the EU, Latin America, and Africa.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. I know of many local parent groups I didn’t include in the list above. So if you don’t see a group here that fits your interests or the place where you live, a quick online search may turn up one near you—and if not, maybe you’ll be the one to start it!

When we organize to protect kids’ futures, we’re powered by love – and that’s the most powerful emotion on the planet.

Sun May 18 at 4pm PT - A Powerful Evening with Christian Climate Scientist Katharine Hayhoe with The Nature Conservancy and Project Peace, in person in Piedmont, CA - $15

Mon May 19 at 4pm PT - A Conversation with The Nature Conservancy's Katharine Hayhoe with Stanford University, in person in Stanford, CA, free; registration required

Sun June 22 at 6pm MT - "Saving Us: Book Discussion" with Calgary Climate Hub, The Wisdom Centre and the Calgary Interfaith Council, in person at 800 St SE Calgary, Alberta - $15