Canadian Wildfires Blanket Eastern U.S. with Smoke
Ask Students: Where has wildfire smoke from Canada degraded air quality in the United States? Who is impacted by high levels of air pollution?
Smoke from the wildfires in Canada blankets New York City. | Photo credit: Anthony Quintano
June 9, 2023
Ask Students: Where has wildfire smoke from Canada degraded air quality in the United States? Who is impacted by high levels of air pollution?
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Hundreds of wildfires continue to burn across Canada and many of them are out of control. The smoke is putting millions of Americans under air quality alerts, prompting warnings to stay indoors to avoid exposure to pollution.
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Climate scientist Kristina Dahl notes that there are several factors that have exacerbated the devastation caused by the recent wildfires in Canada. How has climate change affected the severity of wildfires? And what can be done to mitigate these effects?
Media Literacy: The journalists interviewed a climate scientist and an associate professor, and also included speeches by government officials. Who else would you have interviewed or liked to have heard more from?
According to climate scientist Kristina Dahl, climate change is one of the factors driving worsening wildfires around the world. What is being done to address it? Read about a new Environmental Protection Agency rule that seeks to cut pollutants that contribute to smog. Evaluate who is supporting or challenging the rule–and what do they each have to gain?
Explore more resources for educators to find a wide-range of relevant preK-12 lessons on climate change or supporting young people as they continue to lead the conversation around the climate change crisis.
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.