BLOOMBERG • April 23, 2024
Canada’s emergency preparedness minister has warned repeatedly that an unusually dry and warm winter, combined with what might be an unusually dry and warm spring and summer, could lead to another terrible wildfire season. Global heating made last year’s intense fires in eastern Canada more than twice as likely. As long as people keep burning fossil fuels and spewing heat-trapping gasses into the atmosphere, the planet will warm even more and wildfires will become more frequent and intense. Wildfire smoke could cause as much as 27,800 U.S. deaths per year by 2050. Democrats in Congress last year introduced two bills to address the problem on a national level. Neither bill stands a chance in the Republican-controlled House. While we delay, lives and livelihoods risk being lost to wildfire smoke. Shun the outside air and wear some kind of mask, preferably an N95, when you must venture out. ~ Mark Gongloff