Orange smog envelops Ottawa as Canada wildfires continue to fill skies
New York City woke up on Wednesday to another day of darkened, smoke-filled skies as it remained, for now, one of the worst places for air pollution in the world.
The Big Apple is currently only second to New Delhi in levels of air pollution.
New Yorkers were advised to limit their time outdoors and wear masks to protect themselves from the smoke.
The entire US Northeast is battling smoke that is moving south from more than 400 wildfires raging in Canada which have led to mass evacuations in the province of Quebec. Canadian officials warned that this could be the country’s worst wildfire season on record, with over 6.7 million acres already scorched.
The Air Quality Index is currently at “unhealthy” levels across New York and other major cities as public officials encourage residents to limit outdoor activities ”to the absolute necessities”.
At least 10 school districts in central New York cancelled outdoor activities, including recess and gym classes.
Climate scientists agree: although fires are part of the ecosystem in some regions, the climate crisis is making them more frequent and intense.
Dozens of studies have linked larger wildfires to global heating that is caused by emissions from burning of fossil fuels.
