That week in July when the air turned orange and I couldn't go outside

Last summer, wildfire smoke from Canada blanketed my whole town in Minnesota for five straight days. The air quality index hit 287, which is 'hazardous.' I had to keep my windows shut tight in 90-degree heat because going outside felt like breathing campfire smoke. It made the climate crisis feel real and scary, not just something happening far away. Some people I know said it was just a bad weather year and things would go back to normal. But others, like me, think these extreme events are the new normal and we need to cut emissions faster. It was a wake-up call that stuck with me. Has anyone else had a local event that shifted how you think about taking action?

3 comments

3 Comments

michaelk2324d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, I see it a bit different. In my experience, weather has always had crazy years, and it's a huge jump to say one bad smoke week means a permanent new normal. It seems like we get told every extreme event is the final proof, but then things often settle back down for a while. I'm not saying we do nothing, but maybe we should be careful about changing everything based on a single scary week.

william_carter24d ago

You're right, it's easy to get caught up in the panic of a single event.

michaelk2323d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, last summer when the air got bad, I just stayed inside with the windows shut and ran a basic air purifier I got on sale. Made a huge difference for my allergies. Kept the panic low by checking the air quality app once a day instead of constantly.