"The Long Seattle Haze Shows How Climate Change Will Hit the Poor"

[suffragette]

For the last week and a half, Seattle has been dealing with a combination of higher than normal temperatures and wildfire smoke from Canada blanketing the sky. Thankfully, relief should be arriving tomorrow with cooler breezes and maybe some cleansing rain.

Saw this article in The Stranger, which aptly describes how this combination of conditions will be more likely with climate change and how it will hit those who are poor more harshly.


http://www.thestranger.com/slog/2017/08/10/25343730/the-long-seattle-haze-shows-how-climate-change-will-hit-the-poor

As I wrote last week, extreme weather events demonstrate what we all have to lose. Even for someone swimming in this stuff, this last week has taught me, an Earth scientist, some things about climate impacts. Climate disruptions, to our homes and lives, emerge through a cascade of multiplying factors (temperature, smoke, health, mobility), rather than one weather event alone. And wealth can isolate you from these impacts substantially. Imagine, for example, that instead of a triplex, I lived in my car with my kid through this weather event.

~~~

Again, this is why climate change is not really about weather—it is about public health, the safety of infrastructure and communities, and the livability of our city. This is also why scientists get so mad at climate denialism—because it risks the lives of those that are the most vulnerable already. Sure, deny the data. Deny the models results. Deny the future projections. But how can you deny the irrevocable connection between human suffering and climate change? And how could you ever make the argument that a rise in temperature might bring “some benefits” for low-income people? Human suffering is not a zero-sum game, and only those blindly buffered by their own privilege could make this argument with a straight face and a cool calculation.

[MFM008]

1. Yes it's been weird

......

[suffragette]

2. Yes, am looking forward to marine push. Hopefully starts tonight! If you haven't yet, be sure

To look at full article. It's very short, but concisely notes how the combination of factors work together to form bad conditions and how economic status leaves people more exposed to the hazards.

I think she is making some very important points here.

[MFM008]

5. Agree

I've lived here since 1973.
This weather feels almost claustrophobic. ..

[ismnotwasm]

3. It's awful

It a claustrophobic mugginess with grayish Twilight zone skies. I am pretty damn healthy and I cough at night. I haven't heard about the increase in respiratory infections that was expected but people are having a hard time. Burning eyes, coughs, malaise in some people. My usually healthy elderly Mom can't go outside at all

[suffragette]

4. Yes, it is. I have a friend with asthma who has been seriously impacted by this.

It's a double whammy. As the scientist in The Stranger noted, our usual actions for relief from heat (like your mother going for a walk, maybe with some nice leafy tree shade) don't work due to being impacted by smoke.

I was thinking about this early in the situation when there were all the recommendations to stay inside, especially since most people here use fans to keep cool and in these conditions that brings even more smoke inside.

[BBG]

7. Time for AC?

I have been opposed to it but we are starting to reconsider on adding a heat exchanger air conditioner compressor to the forced air heating system. Or a HEPA filter addon as the MERV 12 filters don't do smoke.

[suffragette]

8. Nice option if you can do it. I would if I could. Making do with fan and bowl of ice here.

At least it's a very good fan

And today, I saw a patch of blue sky with some small clouds - bliss.

I feel for those who have had to tough this out in cars or outside or even inside with crummy cheap fans.

[MFM008]

6. Agree

Perfect word. Claustrophobic.