Where There’s Smoke
Break out those N95 masks again, folks. Only this time it’s smoke and not a virus. Over 100 million people are under air quality alerts as smoke from over 400 active Canadian wildfires that have enveloped the east coast of the US this week. An area the size of Maryland has already gone up in flames from over 2,000 fires making it the worst on record.
Having lived in the heart of wildfire country in southern California for twenty years, I knew when I woke up a few days ago and saw the telltale pink-orange sun that smoke was in the air. Reports from friends in New England said the smoke was so thick that visibility for driving was severely impaired and it was headed my way. On Wednesday New York City had the worst air quality of anywhere in the world, even worse than cities in India and China where occupants have worn N95s long before COVID19. This morning flights at the airports in the region were cancelled.
The National Weather Service rated the air quality first as unhealthy for sensitive groups and then upgraded to just plain ol’ unhealthy for everyone. “Stay indoors, close your windows and turn on your air conditioner,” advised the talking heads. That’s easy to do as long as you’re not a farmer.
As if heat, rain, snow, ice, and wind weren’t bad enough, now we’re dealing with smoke. Practically all of our food system is based outside—crops and livestock. If you want those nice little tender summer squash they need to be picked this week otherwise by next week they’ll be the size of a baseball bat.
The animals know something is up. Maybe it’s the haze making the day appear darker, but they’re not out grazing at their usual times. Does the particulate matter falling from the air make the forage bitter? At least it’s ash from grasses and wood and not some toxic burn. Years ago I had a neighbor who would burn their agricultural plastics which led to sooty muzzles on my livestock. My complaints to state agencies fell on deaf ears because they needed to be caught in the act. Try calling a government official at 2 AM to report an illegal burn.
All of this particulate matter is settling on our crops as well. This is why even the organic farmers urge everyone to thoroughly was all their fruits and vegetables.
Unfortunately, forecasters are expecting the smokey conditions and poor air quality to last throughout this weekend thanks to a stalled low pressure to the north.
Poor air quality can irritate your eyes, nose, and throat as well as cause coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness and/or fatigue. Smoke particles are even small enough they can be inhaled deeply enough into the lungs to enter the bloodstream. While particulate matter might not give you flu-like symptoms or erase your sense of smell, cumulative exposure to wood smoke pollution over time increases the chances of developing asthma, respiratory infections, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), and chronic bronchitis.
So don’t fret this weekend if you see your favorite vendors back to wearing masks at the market. Chances are we’ve been wearing them already all week as we work outside in smokey conditions. And remember, many vendors still have their online ordering systems active and the markets have drive-up service for anyone wanting to shop at the market, but feels the environmental conditions are too risky.