Air Quality & The Future

Partly due to excessive heat, bad air quality, and having asthma, I’ve spent limited time out of my apartment for weeks.

I don’t usually talk about my experiences with asthma because I’ve always considered this a source of embarrassment.

Last summer, the haze from Canadian wildfires resulted in a number of days as “an indoor cat”.

Managing my health in relation to our changing climate has forced me to think harder about how I move through the world.

I think about zip code destiny all the time. The concept is basically that where we’re born has a massive impact on how our life unfolds.

I’ve thought plenty about how I might have fared if I was born in another time. The answer is poorly. There are about a hundred ways I would not have survived. All very Darwinian. This is why, in a way, modern medicine is always playing God (and we should applaud this). Human intervention helps change outcomes. So many of us would be greatly hindered or disabled members of our society without interventions.

In modern times, the wealthiest among us are fixated on how to live forever while others live in abject poverty.

Back to air quality… Recently, I’ve thought a lot about what it would be like to live in other places. Places known to have poor air quality. Places where it’s been said that simply breathing the air is like smoking a pack or two of cigarettes a day. I would not survive for long.

2022 data says that more than 6% of U.S. children have asthma and almost 9% of adults.

How can we take action?

We need to push for preventative measures.

We need to improve our healthcare system.

We need to improve access to healthcare.

We need to encourage our leadership to enact legislation that will hasten technological advancements for clean air.

Other ideas??                                           

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What follows is for information purposes:

How AccuWeather considers air quality (AQI):

Excellent

0 - 19

The air quality is ideal for most individuals; enjoy your normal outdoor activities.

Fair

20 - 49

The air quality is generally acceptable for most individuals. However, sensitive groups may experience minor to moderate symptoms from long-term exposure.

Poor

50 - 99

The air has reached a high level of pollution and is unhealthy for sensitive groups. Reduce time spent outside if you are feeling symptoms such as difficulty breathing or throat irritation.

Unhealthy

100 - 149

Health effects can be immediately felt by sensitive groups. Healthy individuals may experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation with prolonged exposure. Limit outdoor activity.

Very Unhealthy

150 - 249

Health effects will be immediately felt by sensitive groups and should avoid outdoor activity. Healthy individuals are likely to experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation; consider staying indoors and rescheduling outdoor activities.

Dangerous

250+

Any exposure to the air, even for a few minutes, can lead to serious health effects on everybody. Avoid outdoor activities.

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AirNow has a different index of measurement…

U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI)

Good = 0-50

Moderate = 51-100

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups = 101-150

Unhealthy = 151-200

Very Unhealthy = 201-300

Hazardous = 301 & higher (theoretically up to 500…)

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Are these the cleanest cities in terms of air quality?

Are these the places with the most polluted air?

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