Branch | Air Pollution
International air quality has been exponentially decreasing over the last 50 years. As climate change becomes a more prominent issue every day, the consequences of not taking care of the environment are catching up with us. Air pollution in general is most commonly caused by carbon emissions from technologies like cars and planes, but factories and other forms of production pollute the air as well. In most cases, large, industrial cities tend to have the most polluted air because of that increased dependency on carbon emission.
Cities like Beijing, Lahore, and Delhi have the most polluted air in the world because of their dependency on machinery. On a scale where numbers past 300AQI represent potentially lethal air quality, around 50 US cities have AQIs over 300 (AQI is the measurement used to determine the quality of air in a given location). Maybe the fact that masks are becoming a necessity to live a normal life in some places is enough of a shock to the system that we will realize that something has to be changed in the way we handle emissions.
Buds | Barbeque Anyone?
This leads me to the big question that everyone has been asking, which is: why on earth is the entire Northeast US covered in smoke? In the last two days, we’ve seen a dark haze drop over our skies, an ashy smell fill the air, and the sun turn bright orange. Air quality alerts have been ringing from Maine to South Carolina, making it clear that fresh air in the US has suddenly become a rarity.
All of this chaos exists because of the wildfires currently raging across Canada. Although this is typical wildfire season, a particularly harsh heat wave partnered with several badly-timed lightning strikes have produced what may be the most destructive wildfires in Canadian history. The fires have already charred over 9 million acres of land, and are producing unprecedented amounts of smoke that are being pushed south into the United States. The drop in air quality, the smokey air, and the deep haze across America are a result of these flames being fanned in our direction.
With NYC being the most polluted city in the world yesterday, it’s only justified for Americans to wonder if they should expect to come next. Well, in the next couple of days, it is expected that the smoke will dissipate and disappear completely around Friday, June 9th. However, some sources believe that a second ‘wave’ of smoke will arrive sometime next week, especially given that almost 250 uncontrolled fires still exist as of today. This is certainly a scare for some of us, but it’s also not the end of the world. Hopefully, it can be that ‘wake-up call’ that shows people truly how much work needs to be done to combat the climate crisis that is affecting more people every day.
Leaves | What Can I Do?
“We never know the worth of water till the well is dry” - Thomas Fuller
On a larger scale, governments need to put a stronger emphasis on renewable energy. As society progresses further into the world of electric cars, windmills, and solar panels, the opportunity for smog to settle into cities will disappear. That being said, there’s not much we can do as individuals that will solve these issues immediately. One person choosing to bike to work instead of driving won’t rid NYC of pollution; however, if certain methods are implemented on a national scale, it just might make a noticeable difference. Try doing simple things like walking to the store once in a while, or even something like turning the lights off when you leave a room. This is true for pollution and life in general, but in order to succeed, you need to get the basics right.
yet another banger article