Greetings from the Land of 500+ AQI: We’re Holding Our Breath Out Here
My family and I went to the coast Sunday for one reason: To escape the choking smoke in the air. Brian Prawitz, for CHF | August 31, 2023 My wife’s perpetual smoke induced headache and the depressing, oppressing cloud literally hanging over us was just too much. If even for a few hours, the idea […]
Catastrophic wildfires threaten clean and healthy environment
The forests that our federal and state governments manage are sending hundreds of millions of tons of carbon emissions into the atmosphere as they burn each year. KENDALL COTTON | helenair.com | Jun 18, 2023 Forest fire season is underway in B.C. (Chris Harris/Getty Images) Even D.C. politicians are now choking under the smoke-filled air that […]
The Smoke Dilemma
As wood burns, many chemicals such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone are released. For people with respiratory health issues, the biggest concern with smoke is particles 2.5 microns or smaller (approximately 1/30th the diameter of a human hair), commonly called PM 2.5. These particles, when inhaled, can travel deep into […]
Worsening Wildfire Smoke Requires a More Proactive Approach
The U.S. has recently experienced some of its worst wildfire seasons on record, creating unhealthy smoke that affected tens of millions of Americans. Physical health effects from wildfire smoke exposure can range from breathing difficulties to heart failure. Certain populations—including children and older adults—are at higher risk from these effects. Wildfire smoke can also affect […]
Community Impact of Wildfire Smoke
This is an example of how wildfire smoke impacts our communities.
As wildfire season approaches, new studies show air pollution linked to severe health outcomes
A new study links chronic air pollution to ICU admissions from COVID-19 in Ontario Peggy Lam · CBC News · Posted: Jun 05, 2022 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: June 6 Experts are warning about the negative health impacts from air pollution as we head into wildfire season — and new research suggests it could exacerbate severe outcomes […]
Air quality impacts of Northwest wildfires reach as far as New York
Forget apples, hipsters and microbrews — the Pacific Northwest may soon be known for supplying something else to the rest of the country: smoke from wildfires. By Anushuya Thapa InvestigateWest | https://www.wenatcheeworld.com/ | Jun 4, 2022 A new study by the National Center for Atmospheric Research concluded that the air quality of the Pacific Northwest […]
Smoke Study Raises Concerns About Health Effects From Future Wildfires
SAN JOSE (KPIX 5) – A new study on the health effects of wildfire smoke makes some dire predictions for the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. By Len RamirezMarch 30, 2022 at 2:22 amFiled Under:California Wildfires, Wildfire Smoke, Wildfires September 9, 2020, was the day smoke from Northern California wildfires gave the Bay Area a Mars-like appearance. “It […]
Wildfire smoke in Pacific Northwest erasing reductions in emissions – study
Gabrielle Canon | https://www.theguardian.com/ | Tue 19 Apr 2022 | Billowing black smoke during wildfire disasters has caused atmospheric carbon monoxide levels to increase, scientists find The billowing black smoke that has cloaked the US Pacific north-west during wildfire disasters in past years has caused atmospheric carbon monoxide levels to spike, with the contaminants offsetting […]
Timber Harvest and Carbon
Office of Sustainability & Climate | fs.usda.gov | Active management of forests has been woven into the fabric of U.S. Forest Service conservation sinceCongress set aside the first national forest reserves in 1897. Through a variety of activities ranging from timber harvesting to tree planting to building trails, the Forest Service manages for multiple uses […]