Children inherit environmental systems they did not design. Giving them the ability to understand those systems is not about recruiting them to a cause. It is about giving them the knowledge needed to recognise evidence, ask better questions and make more informed decisions later.
Pollution, climate change and waste are connected environmental issues, but they are not the same thing. Children can understand the distinction when each problem is explained through its own cause and pathway.
Air pollution is a serious environmental-health issue. Children can learn what it is, where it comes from and how exposure can be reduced without being taught that every breath is dangerous or that nothing can be done.