Originally published on October 1, 2024
There is plenty of uncertainty surrounding the catastrophic events of this summer. Jasper, Alberta, home to just under 5,000 people, has unfortunately been hit with what seems to be Alberta’s perennial forest fires, begging the question: are Albertans prepared for this ever-changing climate?
The City of Edmonton thinks we might have a chance. They did post a rather terrifying climate change adaptation update. Currently, they say that our summers are going to continue to get warmer and drier. Edmonton, historically, has had an average temperature of about +2.1 C, but the city believes that by the time we reach 2050, the average will increase by 3.5 C to 5.6 C, and it will continue to get higher. The city has also noted that there’s a possibility that in the 2050s, we could have 16 days of weather above the 30 C mark per year; in comparison, from 1961 to 1990, we only had one day above 30 degrees each year. With these summer heat waves fuelling the early start of forest fire season in Alberta, we are bound to have even worse air quality in the next few decades.
As the destruction of these fires continues to disfigure the land that we walk on, we have to also realize the physical effects the smoke has on people with health risks and even those presumed to be healthy. Personally, I had to call out sick from work because I had no way of getting there safely without having an asthma attack — this is the reality for many Edmontonians. If you breathe that air into your lungs for years it could be a risk to your health, so no one is safe from the persistent smoke-filled air.
Fortunately, we have some ways to at least try and protect ourselves. One of those ways would be to wear a respirator mask outside, like an N95 mask; having a mask is better than nothing. We can also limit the amount of time we spend outside and cancel any strenuous work that had been planned such as, but not limited to, sports games.
Regrettably, there is only so much one can do to predict the unpredictable. The Government of Canada has issued an article on how we, the citizens, can live in this new world. Their solution is to keep all the doors and windows closed when wildfire smoke blows through the city. They also suggest investing in an air purifier for our homes. The city has also put out a list of houseplants that promote clean air such as the Areca palm, reed palm, peace lily, weeping fig, and English ivy.
In all honesty, I believe everyone should have a doomsday box in their house for when Alberta decides to burn completely. Maybe burning completely is a bit dramatic, but if you really want to be prepared, then be prepared for ANYTHING.
Cover photo by Photo by Amanda Erickson
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