If you know of resources in your area of the US related to wildfire smoke mitigation like:
-places or organizations giving out free KN95s or air filters
-places where people can go to get out of the smoke
then please let me know and I will add that information to the doc! I'm also looking for resources on actions people can take to mitigate climate change, preferably actions they can take immediately (petitions people can sign, actions they can go to in the near future, that kind of thing), but that is a secondary goal.
Working on updating my wildfire resource doc at http://tinyurl.com/MasksandWildfireSmoke because of the Texas Panhandle fires. If you know of folks in Texas or other affected areas that are providing assistance, please let me know so I can add them to the list! I am specifically looking for people and orgs doing mask and air purifier distro and safe places for people to go to get away from wildfire smoke, but am happy to add other relevant resources as well.
Air Support Project is proud to announce that we have received a grant from the Balvi Foundation, an organization initiated by Vitalik Buterin that focuses on funding high-impact, open-source COVID projects. Learn more about our Open-Source Prototype in our newest Blog, Breathing Innovation: https://airsupportproject.com/breathing-innovation-air-support-projects-open-source-prototype/
Persistent wildfire smoke is eroding rural America’s mental health
"#WildfireSmoke is a frequent source of stress for many people living in rural communities. The smoke harms farms and recreation-based businesses, can be psychologically triggering for wildfire survivors, frequently drives residents indoors, and recent research showed it’s associated with increases in rural suicides."
Air Support Project made its first edition of Clean Air Times magazine, you can get a free digital download at https://airsupportproject.com/shop/ but it's also available for print. I volunteer for ASP, and we'd love to hear anyone's feedback. The first edition is on Wildfire Smoke, and has great info on cleaning the air, and a section on wildfire smoke and Covid, a comic, and a quiz at the end. It looks rockstar, both in print and digitally! #cleanair#wildfire#wildfiresmoke#covid#CleanAirIsAHumanRight
The Virtual Clean Indoor Air Expo is Tuesday 10-24, from 2pm- 10pm EDT, the Zoom Events Registrations hit their max, so @whn is live-streaming it at https://www.youtube.com/live/mCpjnh9cz7U?si=xbz5Ac8ejUsZ7RLc Watch to learn more about why you should tune in at
"The fine-grained analysis spans more than 70,000 #US census tracts, which roughly resemble neighborhoods, mapping out environmental risks alongside factors that make it harder for people to deal with hazards.
Clicking on a report for a census tract yields details on #heat, #WildfireSmoke, and #drought, in addition to what drives vulnerability to #ExtremeWeather, such as income levels and access to health care and transportation."
This is the best up to date AQI map I’ve found so far. The EPA models suck here in Maine. This one is global and shows real-time air quality levels.
🔥💨
"In the 1980s, a disaster causing at least $1 billion in damage hit the U.S. about every three months; now they happen about every three weeks.
Most of this year’s events involved #SevereWeather.
One major type of disaster that is missing from any year in NOAA’s tracking is #ExtremeHeat. Another missing phenomenon is #WildfireSmoke."
Climate action is not expensive.
Doing nothing is expensive.
Well, this is a fun email to get: when AQI hits > 150, @sfpubliclibrary will activate its emergency plan which requires closure of the majority of neighborhood library branches which “lack advanced mechanical ventilation systems.”
only the following branches will remain open: Main Library, Chinatown, Excelsior, Mission Bay, Ocean View, Ortega, Potrero, Richmond, Visitacion Valley and West Portal.
Main Library, Chinatown and Mission Bay will also act as Air Respite Centers.
Mask Oakland is asking for donations to help with this year's fire season, including sending masks and air purifiers to rural and indigenous communities close to the California/Oregon border, and getting masks distributed here in the Bay for fire season and COVID precautions: https://maskoakland.org/give/ They also noted that today is a Spare the Air day in the Bay Area and that we'll likely be seeing some wildfire smoke impacts in the next few days.
They are also looking for volunteers to help distribute masks, and connections with people and organizations in affected areas.
If you haven't heard of Mask Oakland before, they've been around since 2017, distributing masks for wildfire smoke and COVID to homeless people and others in the Bay Area as well as the Sierras. They are extremely effective--to the point that city and county governments were relying on them at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, because they'd already been doing the work.
If you're in BC you can request free N95 masks from maskblocBC. A snug respirator prevents inhalation of wildfire smoke & COVID-19. This link will take you to their request form: https://tinyurl.com/vxz2rwfz#covidisairborne#WildfireSmoke
The details: I had to haul my cranky-ass bod up a stepladder this morning to pop my smoke detector because it kept going off from wildfire smoke (okay, the smoke is bad, but the actual fire is 50 miles away!!!). By this evening I judged the air was clear enough to try re-installing the gizmo (why is it such a struggle to get those damn things back in their receptacles???). Thankfully, the alarm's staying off for now, but tonight I'm keeping my windows the hell shut! #WildfireSmoke#spoonie
I had just opened more windows, and now so POd! A neighbor thought that after a summer of heavy wildfire smoke, and the last couple days of 90+ weather that they’d start their backyard fire pit. WT? #firepits#wildfiresmoke#inconsiderateneighbors
As more parts of the world are being forced to deal with wildfire smoke and COVID-19 simultaneously, it is important to discuss how these health threats interact, and how to maintain good indoor air quality (IAQ) in the face of these dual disasters. Check out our blog at https://airsupportproject.com/indoor-air-quality-covid-19-and-wildfire-smoke/
#AQI in my location beginning to deteriorate a tad. I’ve got new filters in my air purifiers in my house and car. Looking at this map makes me feel like I need an all day sucker made from Xanax. Sticking with cannabinoids, though, and breath work plus binging some funny programming. I like #GoodOmens, #SomebodySomewhere, #BennyAndJoon but am sure I’m missing out. What shows and movies make you laugh? #Comedy#LaughterIsMedicine
Feeling super lucky to be where I am right now with dangerous smoke and fires all around me. AQI here is moderate (74) for most but if you’re super sensitive it’s best to stay in and run filters. And maybe watch programs. Lots of love to all the remarkable #screenwriters, they play a critical role in helping us focus on something besides our immediate circumstances. #WildFireSmoke#WestSeattle#PNW#AppleWeather#AQI
I just got back from the grocery store, and the fire smoke is so bad. My eyes are hurting. It is just gross out here. Coming home, I had a news alert on my phone warning that the air is hazardous. I agree.🤢 #wildfiresmoke#wildfires#selfie#trans