Obama: Daughter's asthma brings home climate change debate
President Barack Obama says his memory of the fear over his daughter's preschool asthma attacks brings home the debate over climate change.
Obama says he knows firsthand how scary it can be to have a child who struggles to breathe. He is arguing that preventing climate change could improve public health by reducing illnesses such as asthma.
Obama tells ABC he felt "terrible" fright when a young Malia told him she couldn't breathe and had to be rushed to the emergency room. He says he thinks every parent would wish to reduce such incidents by improving the environment.
Obama has not had to carry an inhaler since before the family moved to the White House. But Obama tells CBS she still has allergies that need to be monitored.
NATIONAL HEALTH
The Obama administration on Tuesday unveiled a long list of actions ranging from corporate and academic partnerships to community programs to highlight the health impacts of climate change.
Tech giants such as Google and Microsoft will conduct disease research, universities will train the next generation of health experts and cities such as Durham, N.C., and Kansas City, Kan., will monitor local air quality.
All of these efforts and others are part of a multipronged approach to better educate people on the threat of climate change and how it could affect their quality of life.
The effort stretches across multiple government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency and NASA.
President Barack Obama on Monday declared this week National Public Health Week, with activities focused on the public health dangers of climate change.
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Obama: Daughter's asthma brings home climate change debate