By Carol Tannenhauser
With smoke from hundred of wildfires in eastern Canada blanketing much of the United States, New York City experienced “very unhealthy” air quality Tuesday afternoon — at one point, the worst of any major city in the world, according to IQAir World Air Quality Index, rising to 218. “By comparison, the city’s air quality has generally been below 50 on the index in recent years, in the “good category,” and even improved during the pandemic-driven lockdown in 2020,” The New York Times reported.
Mayor Eric Adams issued a warning on Twitter Tuesday afternoon, stating: “If you’re a New Yorker with heart or breathing issues, be careful when you’re outdoors today. Smoke from wildfires in Canada is impacting our city’s air, so an Air Quality Health Advisory has been issued. Try to limit your outdoor activities today to the absolute necessities.”
Schools will be open on Wednesday, but the New York City Public Schools announced on Twitter that “Following guidance from City health agencies, all NYC Public Schools will be canceling all outdoor activities. Where possible, activities can be moved inside. This is a developing situation, and we will keep schools updated as new information becomes available.”
New York City officials urged at-risk residents to “wear high-quality masks outdoors as smoke blankets the city,” The Washington Post reported. “‘If you are an older adult or have heart or breathing problems and need to be outside, wear a high-quality mask (e.g. N95 or KN95),’ the office of Mayor Eric Adams said in statement late Tuesday.”
CNN reported that “a cold front is expected to move south over the next few days, pushing smoke farther south and east throughout the week.”
For more information, visit the National Weather Service at https://www.weather.gov/okx/ or the Department of Environmental Conservation at https://www.dec.ny.gov/cfmx/extapps/aqi/aqi_forecast.cfm
It looked like an apocalypse was coming last night, really awful. It’s heartbreaking that there are people who live with bad air on a regular basis!
I thought the same thing yesterday as I watched the haze cover over a hot pink sun. The weird colors would actually be interesting if it weren’t so dangerous!! I spent too much time watching people. Today, I wear a mask…
Even if we ban cars and most motor vehicles and live with rolling blackouts due to net zero policies, China will still be building up polluting industries and their citizens are silenced for questioning their policies. We are handing China superpower status on a silver platter and big tech companies are fine with that.
Having looked out of the same window for 38 years, I have never seen this color. On Wednesday, at 1:53 pm it is sliding into sepia. I don’t mean the sky, I am talking about the building across the street.
Also, use air filters indoors
If at all possible, use HEPA filters. Others have little protection against the tiny, microscopic particles (PM 2.5) that can find their way deep into our lungs and even into our blood.
Recommendations?
Coway makes great air purifiers
Climate change happened slowly and then suddenly.
The CNN quote is confusing. Does “farther south and east” mean south and east of Canada and TOWARDS us, or does it mean farther south and east of New York, meaning that it is blowing AWAY from NYC? Hoping for clarification.
If you can view the “smoke map forecast” on the NYTimes home page it shows a plume of pretty heavy smoke stretching from over Toronto , South and East to over NYC, then more East out to sea. Looks heavy through this evening, then less. Right now, we have it worse than Montreal, but wind direction does change. Makes you think about the climate, about Beijing and Delhi on bad days…whew. Stay safe everyone. Masks really make breathing easier if you have to go out.