As we endure endless smoky days due to wildfires in the California Bay Area, I am struck by how real climate change is feeling right now.

The pre-season fires that California and other Western states are experiencing this summer are a grim harbinger of further environmental destruction that is sure to continue as a result of climate change. What is now referred to as “fire season” has traditionally started in late September, and the last few years have brought unprecedented destruction to many communities and forests.

In 2020, August lightning storms erupted over Northern and Central California and ignited hundreds of fires, so many that they were unable to name them all, calling them simply Lightning Complex Fires. Large, destructive fires burned in almost every county, with almost two million acres scorched across the state.

After several years of destructive fires, it is clearly apparent that the real effects of climate change are happening right now. According to the National Integrated Drought Information Systems (NIDIS), California is still feeling the effects of an eight year drought that ended in 2019. This long drought has left the vegetation parched and dry, allowing fires to ignite more easily and providing fuel for them to spread quickly.

The silent threat in all of this wildfire destruction is the unhealthy air that follows the fires, blanketing the local areas with smoke and drifting across the U.S., bringing particulate matter with it. Poor air quality is the silent culprit in many respiratory illnesses including asthma and emphysema. According to the California Spare the Air website, high air pollution can cause damage to the cells of the respiratory system and do permanent damage to the lungs as well as shorten a person’s lifespan.

New research is also showing that poor air quality can be linked to worse outcomes when it comes to COVID-19. One study from Harvard University found that an infected person is 8% more likely to die from COVID-19 if they live in an area with high particulate pollution.

As climate change worsens, poor air quality will become an even bigger problem in the U.S. According to the CDC, along with smoke from wildfires, “higher temperatures lead to an increase in allergens and harmful air pollutants.” With warmer temperatures come longer summers which means longer pollen seasons for allergy sufferers as well as an increase in ozone, another harmful pollutant.

What can we do? First, be aware of the air quality in your area. You can monitor it on airnow.gov and on many apps like AirVisual and Air Matters. If the air is unhealthy, limit your outdoor activity and if possible, limit driving and use of any gasoline powered tools. If you can, consider purchasing an air purifier for your home to filter out particulate matter and keep you safer inside. The American Lung Association (ALA) compiles a yearly report on the “State of the Air” that will give you a general idea of the air quality in your area stateoftheair.org. If you live in Canada, you can check the Canadian Air Quality Health Index.

Second, advocate for clean air standards in your community. Many environmental organizations are working to ensure people have clean air to breathe including Earthjustice and National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). They have updates on current legislation and ways to get involved on their websites. Also consider calling or writing to your elected representatives, expressing your concern for air quality issues.

As the threat of climate change increases, it will continue to affect you, your community and the world. Becoming better informed and voicing your concerns now is one of the best things you can do to protect your own health as well as that of your neighbors and loved ones.

Author: Samantha Smith, Sierra Club Volunteer and Environmental Activist

References
drought.gov/drought
sparetheair.com/health.cfm
cdc.gov/climateandhealth
stateoftheair.org
scopeblog.stanford.edu/2020/07/17/why-air-pollution-is-linked-to-severe-cases-of-covid-19