Canadian Wildfires Drive Down Air Quality For Millions In US
A large portion of the U.S. has been experiencing low air quality, presenting unhealthy situations for people with heart and lung conditions, due to wildfire smoke blowing south. Meanwhile, Denver ranked among the worst cities in the world for air quality.
ABC News:
Large Areas Of US Experiencing Poor Air Quality Due To Canadian Wildfires
Several regions in the U.S. are suffering from poor air quality as the smoke from the wildfires burning in Canada make its way south. A large portion of the of the U.S. has been seeing smoky skies for days, presenting unhealthy conditions for residents with heart or lung conditions, officials said. (Jacobo, 5/21)
More on air quality —
The Hill:
World’s Worst Air Quality: This US City Ranked In The Top 5
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment says moderate to heavy wildfire smoke will be possible across much of the state on Friday. According to the air quality rating on Friday evening, Denver ranked in the top five for worst air quality in the world. That’s according to IQAir’s Air Quality and Pollution City Ranking, which is updated hourly, the air pollution advocacy organization explains. It’s important to note that while Denver currently is among the top 5 for unhealthy air, it will likely drop back down once the aforementioned smoke disappears. As of Friday evening, Denver placed fourth on the list. Earlier in the day, it was ranked third. (Bitler and Falcon, 5/21)
Capital & Main:
Colorado’s Big Push On Electric Vehicles Gets Boost From Federal Funds, But It’s Got A Long Way To Go: 'I Am Sure Our Family Would Be Healthier Without The Bad Air'
Dale Turnacliff was diagnosed with asthma in 2004 after he moved to Erie, Colorado. He had spent several years in Southern California’s Inland Empire, which these days is full of warehouses and logistics operations, before he decided to surround his family with a more natural landscape. Erie is a rural town of about 30,000 residents about 45 minutes north of Denver. It offers wide-open views of the Rocky Mountains and is just small enough so that you can see the stars when the city lights dim at night. But the town also has a long history of fracking and oil extraction, something Turnacliff, 44, wasn’t aware of when his family resettled in the area. (Davis, 5/19)
On ticks and mosquitoes —
CBS News:
First Powassan Virus Death Reported In Maine In 2023 Officials Confirm
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday they found the tick-borne illness in an adult resident from Sagadahoc County. Robert J. Weymouth, 58, of Portland, was identified as the person who died after complications with the virus, according to a local obituary. He developed neurological symptoms and died in the hospital after becoming infected, likely in the state, according to the Maine CDC. (Brito, 5/19)
The Washington Post:
Dengue Too High In Puerto Rico, Other U.S. Territories, CDC Says
Dengue, a virus transmitted by infected mosquitoes that causes illness in about 1 in 4 infected people, can lead to symptoms ranging from mild fever to shock or death. In an article this month in JAMA, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers in Puerto Rico say the virus must be better controlled in U.S. territories. Outbreaks have occurred in some states in the past, with the most recent in Florida, Hawaii and Texas. People visiting areas where dengue is common — including some Pacific islands and Central and South America — can also pick up the illness. But the majority of cases in the United States are acquired in U.S. territories. (Blakemore, 5/21)
On water contamination —
Military.Com:
Patients Still Haven't Returned To Texas Medical Barracks Battling Legionella
Eight months after detecting Legionella, a medical barracks at Joint Base San Antonio is still shuttered to residents and employees. The barracks detected the bacteria, which can cause a severe type of pneumonia called Legionnaires' disease, in its water this past September, forcing 100 residents and 50 employees in the building to relocate across the installation as officials have examined the situation. (Novelly, 5/19)
Military.com:
These Marines Drank Camp Lejeune’s Poison. The Road To Justice Is Long
Joan Palumbo wasn’t told the danger she was in when she stepped under the showerhead in her bathroom in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She wasn’t told about the toxins mixing into her daughter’s food every time she blended formula with water from the kitchen sink. Or that cooking her own food in that same water would eventually lead to her death. Palumbo didn’t know that beginning in 1953 toxic chemicals had begun seeping through the ground into two of the eight water treatment plants on Camp Lejeune, the Marine Corps base near Jacksonville where she and her husband, Fred, lived in the Tarawa Terrace neighborhood. (Bataglia, 5/21)
On landfills and climate change —
Stat:
The Battle Over The Brookhaven Landfill On Long Island
The area of North Bellport on Long Island sits in the shadows of a massive landfill. This predominantly Black and Latino neighborhood also has the lowest life expectancy on Long Island, as well as the second-highest rates of asthma. Environmental activists do not think this is a coincidence, and for decades they have waged a battle to shut down the Brookhaven Landfill, which they believe is making their community sick. (St. Fleur, 5/22)
The Washington Post:
Why Climate Change Is Costing You Precious Hours Of Sleep
Humans are already losing shut-eye in warm environments, especially at the beginning of the night. Models predict a solid sleep will further decrease as temperatures rise, especially in lower-income and elderly communities. (Patel, 5/21)
