Air pollution is increasing in parts of the U.S. because of wildfires
The consequences of America’s swelling wildfire problem are traveling well beyond blackened, ashy forests. They're now tainting the air in cities and towns over vast regions of the western U.S. Since the mid-1980s, fine bits of air pollution that have been repeatedly linked to heart and lung diseases have diminished in a good portion of the United States -- except in an expansive zone of the western part of the country. In this region, which extends north from Utah to Montana and west from Oregon to Wyoming, the most polluted days -- when the air quality is at its most harmful -- are getting even worse. The culprit, say atmospheric scientists in a Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study published Monday, is expanding wildfires, which are burning considerably more land than they were three decades ago. iRobot Roomba Combo i3+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum and Mop—$329.99(List Price $599.99) Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet—$169.99(List Price $219.99) Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case—$189.99(List Price $249.00) Eero 6 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (Router + 2 Extenders)—$149.99(List Price $199.99) Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band)—$299.00(List Price $399.00) “It’s not just a rural thing anymore,” Anthony Wexler, director of the UC Davis Air Quality Research Center who took no part in the research, said of the bad air. Wexler, speaking from smoky Aspen, Colorado, near where blazes had recently charred the Rocky Mountains, noted these tiny particles -- which at their largest are still 30 times thinner than a human hair -- don’t just transform blue skies into unsightly hazes. “It’s also a killer,” said Wexler. A recent 10-year-long Environmental Protection Agency study observed some 6,000 people and found exposure to this particulate matter, known formally as PM 2.5 (for particulate matter less than 2.5 microns across), accelerated the build-up of plaque inside the walls of blood vessels, which leads to heart attacks, strokes, and even death. “Lots of people have been predicting that this [harmful air pollution] would be happening in the next decades -- but we’re starting to see it now,” Dan Jaffe, a study coauthor and University of Washington atmospheric researcher, said in an interview. The worst polluted days, when this tiny pollution is at its highest, comes out to around seven extremely unhealthy days a year. “At high levels, it affects everybody,” said Jaffe, even people in fine health. “In short, it’s harder to breathe.” And wildfires aren’t expected to diminish anytime soon. They’re a result of a hotter climate, which parches the land and provides fires with more fuel. The recent return of large blazes to California’s wine country, for example, were largely stoked by hot temperatures, turning abundant vegetation to tinder. “We’re right in the middle of climate change,” Gabriele Pfister, deputy director of the National Center of Atmospheric Research’s atmospheric chemistry lab who had no involvement in the study, said in an interview. “There’s yet another record, and yet another record, and yet another record,” said Pfister, referring to the increased frequency of record-breaking heat as average temperatures continue to climb. “Climate change is definitely not getting better.” All three atmospheric scientists, however, pointed out that that climate change certainly isn’t the only culprit in increased wildfires over the last few decades. The U.S. government’s historic mismanagement of forests, specifically by not allowing fire-prone underbrush to burn away in typical fires, has given large fires more fuel to burn, and an upper hand. But higher temperatures are simply the elephant in the room. “It’s hotter than it used to be,” said Wexler. And this heat, unfortunately, helps drive a vicious cycle of more heat. As more forests burn, they don’t just release bounties of tiny bits of matter into the air; they also fill the atmosphere with more carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas that contributes “substantially to the global greenhouse effect,” according to the U.S. Forest Service. And more greenhouse gases mean more trapped heat in Earth’s atmosphere. “It’s a circle,” said Pfister. As the planet continues its accelerated warming trend, this means government air quality warnings in communities long distances from burning forests will likely become more frequent, she said. “Take it seriously. Stay indoors,” said Pfister. “Sometimes it’s pretty healthy to be a couch potato." Bad air may make for a grimmer future, but there is the ever-conspicuous solution: Slashing the greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere – which requires the transformation of how nations generate electricity and fuel transportation. “We can do something about it by addressing climate change,” added Pfister. Though in the short term, the West will burn, like it is this summer. “It’s going to be a tough season,” said Pfister.Prime Day deals you can shop right now
Products available for purchase here through affiliate links are selected by our merchandising team. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.
Featured Video For You
NASA is attempting to fly a helicopter on Mars for the first time
相关推荐
-
Apple finally sends out payments for MacBook's butterfly keyboard settlement
-
Adorable dad stranded by Harvey tags along to daughter's grad school classes
-
Remote watch parties are the best thing to ever happen to introverts
-
12 hidden features in iOS 10
-
17 Places That Harness the Power of the Sun
-
Decoding Putin's intentions: Russia is using N. Korea to warn S. Korea
- 最近发表
-
- 21 College and University Museums
- 广东2024年实施河湖长制工作要点印发、绿美广东版“阿勒泰”来了……
- Murray remains optimistic after ATP Cincinnati setback
- S. Korea to push for DNA tests on bodies of N. Koreans Pyongyang refuses to accept
- We Asked GPT Some Tech Questions, Can You Tell Which Answers Are Human?
- Here's yet another way Google Photos is better than Apple Photos
- 开启新“锂”程 共创新“锂”想
- Bayern Munich draw Bundesliga season opener
- 采购商+48,英德红茶在泉城济南蹭蹭涨粉
- 粤来越开心!喀什孩子变着花样过“六一”儿童节
- 随机阅读
-
- 尝“鲜”盛宴,等你来探!2024年清远西牛麻竹笋尝鲜季即将启幕
- N. Korean leader calls for bolstering navy's war readiness during visit to shipyard
- Evergreen Mueller intends to play on for Germany
- Trump is obsessed with crowds and ratings, even in flood
- 'Metaphor: ReFantazio' hands
- Woman's nasty tweet about an engagement ring sparks a debate about whether size really matters
- Key Park allies cleared of corruption charges
- N. Korean leader inspects new institute at technology university
- We Cannot Live Without Cryptography!
- Van Dijk relishing Premier League return after 10
- Speaker calls revote on Assembly bill
- Apple Watch Series 2 review: Less silly, more usable
- 护航孩子成长 解决职工后顾之忧
- [Best Brand] Dwight School stresses personalized learning
- S. Korea urges China to protect NK defectors' human rights at UN review
- World's largest flow battery connected to the grid in China
- Apple Watch bands: 5 favorites to consider as Apple Watch 10 looms
- George Mason Korea names new president
- N. Korea ramping up efforts to prevent MERS outbreak
- [Best Brand] Dwight School stresses personalized learning
- 搜索
-
- 友情链接
-