Press "Enter" to skip to content

Tag: wildfires

Topic: climate crisisView all posts for the topic: climate crisis

Wildfire smoke may increase the risk of dementia, study finds

Published July 29, 2024

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: The Guardian
Published on:

A new US study has found that wildfire smoke may be worse for brain health than other types of air pollution and even increase the risk of dementia.

The findings, reported on Monday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia, come as millions spent the weekend under air quality warnings from wildfires spewing smoke across the western US, including a huge wildfire in California that has grown to more than 360,000 acres.

At issue is fine particulate matter or PM 2.5 – tiny particles about 30 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair that can be inhaled deep into the lungs and move to the bloodstream. This pollution – from traffic, factories and fires – can cause or worsen heart and lung diseases, and the new study adds to evidence it may play some role in dementia, too.

Continue readingWildfire smoke may increase the risk of dementia, study finds
Comments closed
Topic: climate crisisView all posts for the topic: climate crisis

This wildfire season, changes are coming to better inform people about smoke hazards

Published May 20, 2024

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: The Canadian Press
Published on:
By Sonja Puzic

Last year’s record-breaking wildfire season forced Canadians to become familiar with the scale of air pollution as hazardous smoke drifted across the country.

Environment Canada’s colour-coded Air Quality Health Index, designed to help people understand health risks associated with contaminated air, was closely watched under hazy, orange skies that stretched beyond the Canada-U.S. border.

But the AQHI, measured on a scale from one to 10+, was not calculated the same way in all provinces and some people were unsure how index values applied to their daily activities.

Environment Canada hopes several changes being made this year will improve how air quality-related health risks are communicated and understood by the public.

Continue readingThis wildfire season, changes are coming to better inform people about smoke hazards
Comments closed
Topic: climate crisisView all posts for the topic: climate crisis

Risk of wildfire smoke in Ottawa low — for now: Environment Canada

Published May 13, 2024

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: Ottawa Citizen
Published on:
By Blair Crawford

Smoke from wildfires in Western Canada will soon be drifting high overhead, but it poses no health risk in Eastern Ontario, says Environment Canada.

“Taking a look at our guidance and the weather patterns this week and the way things are panning out, it doesn’t look like Eastern Ontario needs to be concerned about its air quality at this time,” Trudy Kidd, a warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada, said Monday.

“At best, people might see some haze in the skies in the coming days as the forest fire smoke makes its way through and disperses aloft, but from what we can tell at this time, the particulate matter — and that’s what’s of concern when it comes to forest fires — we’re expecting it to stay aloft,” she said.

Continue readingRisk of wildfire smoke in Ottawa low — for now: Environment Canada
Comments closed
Topic: climate crisisView all posts for the topic: climate crisis

Wildfire smoke could move into Ottawa, eastern Ontario tonight

Published May 13, 2024

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CTV News
Published on:
By William Eltherington

Wildfires in western Canada will likely bring smoke into Ottawa and eastern Ontario starting on Monday and into Tuesday morning.

CTV’s Your Morning chief meteorologist Kelsey McEwen says smoke could travel as far as Quebec City by Tuesday morning with air quality advisories being issued in five provinces.

“You can see the Jetstream pulling that smoke down south of the border through the Dakotas and back up through the Great Lakes,” McEwen said.

“By tomorrow, this begins to slide toward the Ottawa-Gatineau area, tomorrow morning and out toward Quebec City.”

Continue readingWildfire smoke could move into Ottawa, eastern Ontario tonight
Comments closed
Topic: climate crisisView all posts for the topic: climate crisis

Smoky skies back in Alberta as wildfires spread

Published May 12, 2024

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CBC News
Published on:

Just as the last vestiges of winter gave way to a few days of warm weather, smoke has clouded Alberta’s skies, bringing with it a foreboding memory of summers past, as wildfires continue to burn in the northern parts of the province.

Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued 321 air quality alerts, spanning the province from High Level to Milk River. Alberta Wildfire is reporting 50 active wildfires as of 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, with two currently classified as out-of-control.

One, near Fort McMurray, tripled in size overnight to extend its reach to about 5,500 hectares. The other, burning in Grande Prairie County in northwestern Alberta, had grown to about 1,400 hectares as of 1 p.m. Sunday.

Continue readingSmoky skies back in Alberta as wildfires spread
Comments closed
Topic: climate crisisView all posts for the topic: climate crisis

Edmonton to see smoky skies, poor air quality into Monday night

Published May 12, 2024

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CTV News
Published on:
By Brittany Ekelund

Edmontonians saw a slight improvement in the smoky skies Sunday.

The air quality index in the city had dropped from a 10 – very high risk – to a high-risk 9 by Sunday afternoon.

According to Environment Canada, wildfire smoke is harmful even at low concentrations, and residents in affected areas were told to reduce or reschedule strenuous outdoor activities and watch for symptoms such as coughing and throat irritation.

Continue readingEdmonton to see smoky skies, poor air quality into Monday night
Comments closed
Topic: indoor air qualityView all posts for the topic: indoor air quality

Canada needs to improve indoor air quality for kids as an early wildfire season looms, advocates say

Published April 25, 2024

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: Toronto Star
Published on:
By Kevin Jiang

Children are particularly susceptible to harm from air pollutants … They’re much more vulnerable to the health effects of poor indoor air quality because their bodies, brains and respiratory systems are still developing.

— Erica Phipps, Executive Director of Canadian Partnership for Children’s Health and Environment (CPCHE)
Continue readingCanada needs to improve indoor air quality for kids as an early wildfire season looms, advocates say
Comments closed
Topic: Ottawa-GatineauView all posts for the topic: Ottawa-Gatineau

Wildfire season: What can Ottawa expect?

Published April 11, 2024

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CTV News
Published on:
By Ted Raymond

Last summer’s smoky skies could make a return this year, as officials say Canada is on track for a repeat of the 2023 wildfire season – the worst on record.

In Ottawa, wildfire smoke blanketed the capital several times last summer and there were multiple open air fire bans and even concerns Canada Day fireworks could trigger a blaze.

Continue readingWildfire season: What can Ottawa expect?
Comments closed
Topic: climate crisisView all posts for the topic: climate crisis

Dubai climate talks focus on health as Canadian doctors warn patients already seeing impacts

Published December 3, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: CBC News
Published on:

A group of Canadian doctors are in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, this week at COP28 to raise awareness about the impacts climate change is having on the health of patients and the overall health-care system.

Continue readingDubai climate talks focus on health as Canadian doctors warn patients already seeing impacts
Comments closed
Topic: air pollutionView all posts for the topic: air pollution

Air Pollution Is Really Dangerous, Even More New Evidence Shows

Published November 23, 2023

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: Scientific American
Published on:
By Jesse Greenspan

PM2.5 particles are tiny enough to enter the bloodstream and lodge in the lungs, where they contribute to respiratory problems such as asthma. They also can prompt heart attacks and strokes. And they have been linked to diabetes, obesity and dementia and may exacerbate COVID.

Continue readingAir Pollution Is Really Dangerous, Even More New Evidence Shows
Comments closed
Wildfire smoke may have contributed to thousands of extra COVID-19 cases and deaths in western U.S. in 2020The Apple Fire burns north of Beaumont, California, on July 31, 2020. Photo: Brody Hessin. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en
Topic: climate crisisView all posts for the topic: climate crisis

Wildfire smoke may have contributed to thousands of extra COVID-19 cases and deaths in western U.S. in 2020

Published August 13, 2021

Still COVIDing Canada Posts

Published by: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Published on:

Thousands of COVID-19 cases and deaths in California, Oregon, and Washington between March and December 2020 may be attributable to increases in fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) from wildfire smoke, according to a new study co-authored by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Continue readingWildfire smoke may have contributed to thousands of extra COVID-19 cases and deaths in western U.S. in 2020
Comments closed