Canadian Wildfire Air Pollution Gives Northeastern Hypochondriac Progressives a False Pretext to Pretend to be “Smart” and Hibernate Again
A New Crisis Presents Nervous Americans with Another Opportunity for Respite from Their Unacknowledged Existential Dread
I’m just reading now about the air pollution engulfing much of North America, particularly the northeast, as a result of a high pressure system pushing acrid Canadian wildfire smoke down into the contiguous US. The reaction people are having is embarrassing but predictable in this age of perpetual crisis and doom, as if we enjoyed it. The Wall Street Journal’s Erin Ailworth, Jon Kamp, and Alyssa Lukpat report,
“Forecasters said people should limit their time outside because inhaling polluted air can cause headaches, irritated eyes, fatigue and difficulty breathing. Seniors, children and immunocompromised people should be especially careful. Health officials recom-mended people outside wear masks.”
Yup, don’t go outside, folks, because you might suffer “irritated eyes.” It’s also allergy season.
Kids are going to the hospital with ashthma attacks. And apparently, “studies have shown that children who are exposed to chronic air pollution are more likely to have smaller lungs than those who don’t have chronic exposure. That puts them at higher risk of respiratory and cardiovascu-lar diseases as adults.”
Yes, forestfire woodsmoke is an asthma risk in New York, similar to gas stoves.
At work today one of my customers said “I heard that if you were to stay outside all day today, breathing that air, that would be the same as smoking six cigarettes.” “In college,” I told her, “I smoked two packs a day” (which isn’t true— I smoked around one pack a day). But anyway, just to be safe, definitely don’t stay outside all day, in case you end up smoking six cigarettes.
Here is one New Yorker being safe, smart and progressive I’m sure— the Journal says,
“In Central Park, Amy Jobe, 34, wore a black KN95 mask as she walked to join her husband, who was out with their dog, Barley. “I’m not familiar with what I should do given how bad the air quality is,” Jobe said. “I just don’t have any experience with it.”
Yeah, whenever you’re in a situation where you don’t know what to do: step one, put on a mask at least.
Since it was so prudent during the pandemic, I’m reading, schools are cancelling sports and some schools are even closing.
“Crissy Cáceres, the head of Brooklyn Friends School, said her decision to close that school Wednesday was met with support by families with health concerns and frustration from others over the loss of a day of education.”
Because of some woodsmoke I guess, that’s a good reason to delete from one’s memory the abundant evidence of the steep mental health and learning loss the pandemic lockdowns wrought on young generations.
Here’s a good image of how comfortably concerned the metropolitan electorate has become,
“In Montgomery County, Pa., outside Philadelphia, the smoky air triggered a sharp increase in 911 calls Tuesday evening reporting smoke, haze or burning odor, according to the county’s department of public safety. Over three hours, the county dispatched 88 times for calls about smoke or haze, more than triple the total for all of May, the department tweeted.”
Yup, some of the 88 Philadelphians called 911 over “haze,” the Journal says; these callers presumably well abreast of the fact that cities are enveloped in air pollution, caused by wildfires.
Galvin Young/ Postmedia
Officials are asking people to don the masks again, though this time the airborne contagion suffuses every air particle you breathe unavoidably. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has called for people to “limit” the time they spend outside. And Philadelphia has issued a “code red alert,” where travelers are even advised not to drive to “cut down” on the pollution.
A newsletter from Bloomberg quotes Eric Adams announcing,
“This is not the day to train for a marathon or to do an outside event for your children.”
Considering that Canadian wildfires are expected to continue to spike, as melting poles increase dryness in forests— we’ll see in the coming weeks and months the lengths trendy metropolitan progressives are willing to go to be safe and smart.
Swanson/ Reuters
Again.
— Jay