As the eastern U.S. and Canada reeled from days of thick wildfire smoke in early June 2023, millions of people faced the reality of climate change for the first time. Shocking images of New York under apocalyptic orange skies left many people glued to air quality indices and wondering whether it was safe to go outside.
What they might not realize is that the air many of them breathe isn’t healthy even when wildfire smoke isn’t filling the sky.
