Breathing In A World On Fire

On Tuesday, June 6th, I went outside on a day off work to get in a tennis workout. As I walked I could see the dryness on the ground and could feel it in the air around me. Normally when it gets hot in Arlington, Virginia there is plenty of humidity to it. Despite the fact that it makes me miserable sometimes, I know that having the humidity especially in this corner of the world is good for the environment. Arlington County and Washington D.C. were founded on a swamp. There is no other way around it. These wetlands were essential to the biodiversity of this region...which had been evolving for hundreds of thousands of years.

The Native Americans of this region-- namely the Powhatan, the Monacan, and the Cherokee understood (just as many Indigenous cultures did) that their health and well-being were tied to that of the world around them. They built a society and a culture whose customs, traditions, values, and beliefs were tied to the fabric of the well-being of their external world. That was not to say that these Indigenous communities did not have social contention. No, these Natives were human as much as anyone. Yet their system was built on the needs of the natural around them in addition to their own...and therefore this was a safeguard from the mutual self-destruction that we see in many cultures across the West and the East.

With every passing year to date we have not only seen the rise in external temperatures but also in the decrease in the moisture in the air. This was the case for Canada, which is now experiencing one of the hottest and driest years on record. This information was released in a news clip by the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC). While wildfires are considered relatively normal in western Canada, the fact remains the majority of these fires are coming from eastern provinces such as Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. While Canada is discouraging residents from setting fires this summer...there is another factor to consider. The level of air pollution that resulted from these wildfires.

The haze that is permeating Virginia is definitely an unexpected sight. Other parts of the United States are feeling it. While news reports are detailing the ways that this has impacted the north, we also know that the air pollution is migrating south as well. New York City (which I consider my second home and where my boyfriend currently resides) is already notorious for its lackluster air quality, and is experiencing the haze and coming from our northern neighbor. While Canada burns, states across the U.S. are reporting that they are getting the residual effect. My Mom-- who still lives in my hometown of Meshoppen, Pennsylvania... told me how they were experiencing similar levels of haze and smoke. My friend and colleague who works for the EPA and lived in North Carolina told me that the air quality warning had reached them, and that the fires in Canada were definitely a topic of concern for her and her professors.

I include photos that were just taken outside of my apartment showing the haze. The gray overcast skies give me some hope since the rain is a much needed relief. Outside of my bedroom window, I can hear the birds that I love to feed and watch from the window chatting away. While this is not out of the ordinary, I can sense a level of distress. It made me think about how these fires and this air pollution is impacting not only humans, but other life as well.

Human affairs are making life immensely difficult for ourselves and for other creatures. As I am writing this post and even long before, there have been several groups warning us about an upcoming sixth Mass Extinction. (Note: Our planet specializes in this kind of thing.) Throughout the course of life on this planet...there have been five major events which have led to the widespread extinction of Earth's life-forms. Each time, millions of species were wiped out by catastrophic events. But these were all caused by outside phenomena. Asteroids, volcanic eruptions, floods, among others were the results of the previous extinctions. This time around however...this one will be due specifically to the activity of one species.

Earlier I mentioned that Native Americans and other Indigenous communities understood that you have to live in communion with the world around you. Even now as we speak, there is a mass effort being put in place that involves the various Indigenous communities across Canada. Authorities are now collaborating with them-- as well as several internationally-sponsored firefighters from nations such as the United States, Australia, and South Africa.

Our conversation that my EPA friend and I had about Canada widened. We discussed the role of government in addressing the environmental disasters across North America. During my conversation with her-- I lamented that the government was failing the people. She challenged me and asked, "What do you mean by the government?" Did I mean the average citizen working for the government? Or was I referring specifically to particular elements (such as Congress). She reminded me that oftentimes the rules and regulations that are being enforced in the U.S. are done so at lower levels-- particularly the state and local. While granted, the federal level is responsible for some of this enforcement, agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency had to coordinate their efforts with state and local governments. She reminded me that certain states have a notorious track-record of not collaborating with federal leaders to get the job done.

I ceded that my friend had a point but I still remained stout in my own assessment. For me, this was about addressing the overarching theme that the U.S. government (and Canada too) was failing the people. The lack of updated environmental regulation that we had over the years has gradually led us to this moment. Already, we are hearing from experts in and out of the field just how dangerously close we are to the point of no return (and how we have often crossed in some cases).

Breathing in a world on fire is going to be a cause of concern if things keep going in the trajectory that it is now. Make no mistake, fire is critical to the health and well-being of many environments. The idea that fire should never happen is detrimental to the health and well-being of our ecosystems. Fire has a purpose. It not only devours but it also cleanses. While it can be lethal and drastic, the devastation it causes can actually feed the soil and provide the nutrients needed to continue sustaining life. Fire is necessary, yet we must be prepared for the consequences of Western and Eastern actions. Because a few humans chose to ignore what the majority of experts have been trying to warn us...we are now on track to witness the devastating impacts of climate change. We too are going to have to learn how to adapt and how to live with this planet.

Our systems need to be revisited. This idea that anyone with copious amounts of money can just dictate the dialogue of the global citizen is not going to work. What a person chooses to do with their prosperity says a lot about their character. Efforts that only seek to streamline the pockets of a few can only get us so far. Our ecosystems, the global citizens, and the life-forms that call this planet home are going to be under a lot of strain in the coming future and we must do our part.

What does doing our part look like? That varies. Not everyone has the same circumstances. For me though...it means educating myself on history, behavior, culture, and the science of what is going on around me. It means collaborating. It means doing my part and controlling the things that I can change and that over which I have control.