If I were an American fetus . . .
If I were an American fetus, I’m pretty sure I’d find last week’s US Supreme Court rulings confusing. On the one hand, the fractious Justices voted for my right to live. On the other hand, just days later they turned around and voted to increase my chances of growing poorly, of being born before I should be, and even of dying before I’ve had the chance to be born. Assuming I survive pregnancy and the frightful experience of delivery, those Justices have increased my chances of getting sick or dying from pneumonia or asthma before I even start school, and of dying before my time from some nasty chronic condition like diabetes, chronic lung disease, heart disease, a stroke, or lung cancer. And finally, as if all the detrimental effects of higher air pollution levels aren’t enough, those Justices have also made it more likely I’ll end up injured, sickened, maimed, emotionally scarred, or even killed by the fallout of climate change. How did they do all this? By limiting the regulatory powers of our Environmental Protection Agency.
Doesn’t it seem rather contradictory? Mind you, I’m not even born yet, so what do I know? But you might think their interest in my life would extend to some concern for my long term health and safety.
If I were an American fetus, my Canadian comrades in utero would probably find my rant puzzling. How, they might ask, can all this be? Well, let me explain. In 2021, my country (the land of the free and the home of the brave) was still producing 61 percent of its electricity by burning fossil fuels. It’s a dirty way to supply the grid, and it’s terribly bad for my health, especially when the fossil fuel in question is coal. Burning coal produces some of the worst smog on the planet, and for a little fetus like me, smog is as toxic as cigarette smoke. Air pollution starts affecting me before I even get a chance to breath. All those tiny particles and poisonous chemicals . . . wow, they can sure stunt my growth and make me think hard about abandoning the womb early. But once I’m born, I’ll just have to start inhaling the stuff myself anyway, and throughout my life, air pollution will make me less healthy than I deserve to be.
If I were an American fetus, I’d go on to explain exactly what those Justices did last week that I’m so upset about. You see, politics in my country is terribly complicated these days. On the one hand, we passed the Clean Air Act way back in 1970. That legislation has unquestionably saved the lives of a great many of the tiny ones who came before me. And now, just when we know more than we’ve ever known about the health threat of air pollution, and just when we need to boldly pursue a rapid transition to clean energy for the sake of climate stability, those Supreme Court Justices chose to make the process of cutting out fossil fuels much harder.
If I were an American fetus, I’d say their decision doesn’t make sense, and it’s not fair. My country is supposed to be a leader in the world. If the highest court in America won’t stand up and protect me from environmental harm, what hope is there for fetuses in places like India, Iran, China or Nigeria?
And finally, if I were an American fetus, I’d ponder whether something like this could happen in Canada. I’d argue that it makes no sense to fight for life then display little regard for its wellbeing. I’d ask whether cherishing life shouldn’t also involve protecting it from health threats like air pollution and climate change. And I’d plead for a healthy planet, because I want to do more than just live. I want to thrive.