Smog Summer

As I’m writing this, the air outside smells like smoke. There’s a distinct haze that has nothing to do with the overcast sky. People who spend too much time outside become light headed, have difficulty breathing, and get terrible headaches. Sitting next to the window even brings the smell of something burning. I’m hundreds of kilometers away from some of the fires raging in northern Canada right now, but still they’re blanketing the sky. This is the kind of sky many of us haven’t seen since 2020.

Why is this happening? Simply put, climate change.

Northern Canada is on fire right now. Hundreds of fires are burning. Some can be ignored, others not so much. There are over 200 wildfires burning as of yesterday, and we can only fight a fraction of them. The most important are those near peoples homes and towns. Next come the ones that can cause massive ecological damage. Sadly, we may only be able to put out a fraction of them.

Many will no doubt be surprised by the intensity of the fires. Just two months ago we had blizzards in late April. I could punch the ice out of my window we had so much freezing rain. May was warm, but not especially hot and we had plenty of rain. In truth, the ground was dried out so badly, and many trees are dead that the fires were simply waiting to go up. It was a disaster waiting to happen, and now millions are suffering for it.

Some of the worst photos, ironically, don’t come from Canada. They come from New England and New York in particular. The worst of the haze is lifted into the atmosphere and carried far south, settling in a hellish orange-green haze that coats everything in smog and brings the smell of fire wherever it goes. People are suffering all across the eastern seaboard.

What’s worse is that this may be only the beginning of a “smog summer” as we’ve only entered June! There’s months yet for fires to start, and too much dry land to burn out of control. I don’t say this to be pessimistic – I want to have a good summer as much as anyone – but merely to set my own expectations for this summer. It’s terrible to behold, and I know exactly why it’s happening. Climate change.

One of the most pernicious lies we tell ourselves about climate change is that it will only effect “someone else” and many of our politicians warn us it will be bad in “other parts of the world” but not necessarily at home. Our leaders, and many others, are deluding themselves with that fantasy. Looking out a window right now should prove it. While many in the global south will indeed suffer, we in North America and Europe are not even remotely safe from the ravages of a changing climate the world over.

These are, unfortunately, historic times. The climate crisis is a global problem requiring a global solution. We can’t pretend it isn’t and the weather just keeps reminding us of that. Our leaders need to be reminded of that too. Much must be done to combat it, and we have to bang that drum as loud and hard as it takes.

For now though, until this terrible fire abates, people need to protect themselves. The air is polluted and everything smells like smoke. Going outside you may need to wear a mask just to help you breathe. Stay hydrated, and spend as little time outside as possible if you can avoid it. Close your windows and run your central air. Do your best to keep cool, and take good care of your eyes. More excellent advice in this CBC article.

We’re in this for the long haul friends, even with the fires stop. Stay strong.