An environmental advocacy group that focuses on protecting children from air pollution is calling out a Department of Energy working group that it says is attempting to "sabotage longstanding climate science." 

What's happening?

The Moms Clean Air Force, a nonprofit that brings together more than 1.5 million parents against air pollution, says the DOE's new "Climate Working Group," formed in April, has five well-known climate skeptics on board.

MCAF criticized a document produced by the working group that is being used to rescind the Endangerment Finding, a 2009 determination from the Environmental Protection Agency that said that the concentrations of planet-heating gases in the atmosphere threaten public health and welfare.

The Endangerment Finding requires the EPA to take action under the Clean Air Act to curb releases of several heat-trapping air pollutants.

"The report is loaded with inaccurate data and fundamental misrepresentations of the research it cites," MCAF stated on its website. It adds, "This corrupted report, written in complete secrecy by unqualified scientists — and the Trump EPA's use of it to undermine pollution protections — is not only a violation of federal law. It puts all our families in harm's way."

Why is this report concerning?

The same air pollutants responsible for heating up our planet can also have serious direct impacts on our health.

For instance, the American Lung Association says exposure to long-term ozone pollution may lead to new asthma cases among children and the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

One study found that even moderate exposure to traffic-related air pollution could harm the liver and increase the risk of developing fatty liver disease.

A warming planet is also expected to cause or exacerbate a number of other health issues for people. For instance, doctors have tied skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, and skin cancer to warmer temperatures and more extreme weather. One U.S.-based study found a spike in heat-related deaths over the last two decades.

What's being done about climate pollution?

MCAF provides information on ways to protect children and the general public from the health impacts of dirty energy, which include clean-air issues and rising global temperatures.

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The organization empowers people to act on these issues. For instance, its petition to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin urges the agency to continue cutting climate pollution from power plants, vehicles, and industry.

You can help by making some simple changes in your day-to-day life, such as cycling to work instead of driving or investing in an electric induction range or plug-in burner.

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