A babushka doll of crises
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- Published on Thursday, 17 September 2020 15:16
- Written by editor
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Stand down Delhi. This week, Vancouver claimed the dubious honour of being home to the worst air quality in the world.Stifling smoke, thanks to wildfires raging along the U.S. Pacific coast, has blanketed southern British Columbia. It’s an apocalyptic situation that can be added to a cascading number of crises, whether it’s the pandemic, overdoses, housing or climate change — a babushka doll of neverending concern.
The dangerous air pollution is some of the worst and most prolonged many of us living in British Columbia have experienced. But it’s certainly not unfamiliar: dangerous wildfires and their after effects — including what’s become known as “ecological grief” — are something we’ve now come to expect on a yearly basis. Scientists say climate change is already making the problem worse — and it’s only getting hotter and drier from here.
And we must remember that the climate crisis is not equal in its impacts. Those living in hotter regions, including India, are grappling with breathing difficulties on a daily basis.
In B.C. right now, there are people who lack access to ventilated indoor facilities where they can escape dangerous air quality levels.
Immunocompromised individuals, who were already grappling with the risks of COVID-19, are now facing the literal added layer of smoke that could lead to respiratory infections.
“Air pollution doesn’t cause these infections, but it affects your immune response,” air quality expert Michael Bauer told The Narwhal this past spring.
“If we have a smoke event, we know there’s x percentage of our population that’s more likely to be affected,” said Bauer, a professor at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health. “Now that level may be higher because of the pandemic.”
These health problems aren’t just isolated to our human population. As one expert notes in a piece we just published, B.C.’s smoky skies hint at the suffocating life sea creatures face thanks to increased ocean acidification — a result of the growing concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.
“Like us, many animals along our coast are guaranteed to experience seawater for several weeks each year that is so acidic and corrosive that it severely compromises their ability to build, grow and repair their shells,” Fiona Beaty writes.
Without adequate action, those corrosive impacts will continue to wreak havoc on humans, animals and our planet.
Take care and help repair those shells,
Arik Ligeti
Audience Engagement Editor
P.S. A big thank you to everyone who stepped up to become a member over this past week. We were aiming to add 100 new members by the end of the month — and, thanks to you, we pulled it off in seven days! The support means we’ll be able to dig into even more pressing issues facing our natural world. BECOME A NARWHAL Announcing our art contest winners
From Qualicum Beach, B.C., to Halifax to south of the border in Boston, dozens of kids sent in superb drawings for our narwhal art contest. Below, you can find the drawings of our three grand prize winners. You can go here to see all of the entries. (Rest assured, every single artist will receive a Narwhal souvenir.) Thanks to all who participated!
Beatrice Thomson, 11, from Gatineau, Que., submitted this drawing of Sandy and her little baby Narnia. Sandy made a sea cake for Narnia’s birthday and she is bringing it to the party on her tusk.
Ethan Ezekiel, 12, from Ajax, Ont., sent in this drawing. When Ethan heard about the contest he got all excited and exclaimed, "Did you know they have tusks that are about 10 feet long?!"
Rebecca Harty, 5, from Bawlf, Alta., sent in this drawing of Narrel. “She is going down to the bottom depths of the ocean with Ariel the mermaid. They are going to find a gem of wisdom to keep the castle safe from falling.”
This week in The Narwhal
B.C.’s old-growth forest announcement won’t actually slow down logging: critics
By Sarah CoxThe NDP government has announced development deferrals for nine areas — but closer inspection reveals a startling absence of old growth, and some areas have already been clear cut. Read more.
Opinion: Smoke and acid: where wildfires meet the ocean
By Fiona BeatyAs forest fires burn uncontrollably south of the U.S. border, the smokey skies over B.C. hint at the suffocating life in an ocean growing increasingly acidic, Fiona Beaty writes. Read more.
Algoma Steel workers allege company had ‘full knowledge’ of exposure to lethal, cancer-causing chemicals
By Hilary BeaumontEmployees and the union say minimal enforcement by Ontario’s Ministry of Labour is to blame for lax oversight at a plant already linked to cross-border air pollution in the region. Read more.
‘Tons and tons of fishing equipment’: B.C. tour operators clean up ocean debris during coronavirus pandemic
By Matt SimmonsWaste from the fishing industry accounted for about 70 per cent of garbage collected in a 61-tonne haul, according to the captain on an expedition supported by the provincial government. Read more.
Why Canada’s geothermal industry is finally gaining ground
By Lesley Evans OgdenHeat from below the Earth’s surface has provided a reliable source of electricity for decades in many countries — but not Canada. Now, several projects underway in western provinces could herald a new era for this untapped resource and offer job opportunities for former oil and gas workers. Read more.
What we’re reading
When increased ocean acidification is making life tough underwater. Help clear the air about climate news by getting more folks to r33Copyright © 2020 The Narwhal, All rights reserved.
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