Poor air quality from wildfires
and rising ozone levels are worsening asthma and other respiratory conditions. Mental health is also suffering. Climate-related disasters and anxiety are linked to depression and emotional strain. Low-income and marginalized communities often face the highest risk.

Some effects may not be reversible.
Even if emissions were drastically reduced today, the consequences of past decades may continue unfolding. Arctic ice, once lost, takes centuries to return. Animal population declines and habitat disruptions can trigger chain reactions that are hard to undo.