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Tag: wildfire smoke

Wildfire smoke blankets one-third of U.S., raising health alarms

Wildfire smoke blankets one-third of U.S., raising health alarms

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Disasters, Environment
June 5, 2025 A dense blanket of wildfire smoke from more than 200 fires burning across Canada has shrouded nearly one-third of the United States, triggering widespread air quality alerts and renewed concerns about public health. The smoke, drifting from blazes in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, has turned skies hazy and pushed toxic pollution levels to hazardous highs in parts of New England, New York, and the Midwest. According to the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center, the smoke has spread from the Dakotas through the Ohio Valley and into the Northeastern states, reaching as far south as Georgia. While much of the smoke remains suspended in the upper atmosphere, areas like New York and Connecticut are experiencing a heavier concentratio...
15,000 Deaths from Wildfire Smoke Linked to Climate Change in U.S. Study Finds

15,000 Deaths from Wildfire Smoke Linked to Climate Change in U.S. Study Finds

Breaking News, Climate Actions, Environment
A landmark study has found that human-caused climate change led to 15,000 additional deaths from wildfire air pollution in the continental United States over a 15-year period ending in 2020. The research, led by Oregon State University and published in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, is the first to quantify how many people have died as a result of climate-driven increases in wildfire-related fine particulate pollution (PM2.5). The study reveals that 2020 alone accounted for over a third of these deaths, during which massive wildfires burned across California, Oregon, Colorado, Arizona, and the Pacific Northwest. These fires released vast quantities of fine particulate matter—PM2.5—tiny particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, causing and worsenin...
wildfire Smoke Linked to Surge in Mental Health Emergencies harvard study finds

wildfire Smoke Linked to Surge in Mental Health Emergencies harvard study finds

Breaking News, Climate Actions
Exposure to fine particulate air pollution from wildfire smoke is not only damaging to lungs and hearts it’s also harming mental health. according to a new study led by researchers at the harvard t.h. chan school of public health, short-term exposure to wildfire-specific pm2.5 has been linked to increased emergency room visits for mental health conditions across california. kari nadeau study’s senior author and chair of the department of environmental health “wildfire smoke isn’t just a respiratory issue it affects mental health, too our study suggests that smoke itself, in addition to the trauma wildfires cause, may directly worsen conditions like depression, anxiety, and mood disorders.” Study to isolate the specific effects of wildfire-related pm2.5 on mental health. while previou...