By

Climate Change and Air Pollution in Wisconsin

In the past 3 weeks, most of Wisconsin has been under constant air quality advisories for high ozone and PM2.5 concentrations. These pollutants have different causes, but both can have adverse impacts on human health, especially for vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and disabled folks. 

                                                                Ozone

Ozone is a naturally occurring atmospheric gas, but it can be very dangerous when formed near the earth's surface. This formation generally occurs when nitrous oxides combine with volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under sunny and hot conditions and can be caused by auto exhaust or industrial outputs. With warming temperatures and increased auto and industrial pollution, this formation of ground-level ozone is becoming a more frequent threat, especially in areas with high car traffic. Cities like Los Angeles can be blanketed in this thick smog, which can cause long-term respiratory irritation and damage. 


Source: https://thecityfix.com/blog/red-alert-3-strategies-reducing-toxic-ozone-pollution-elizabeth-moses/


Particulate Matter
Particulate matter is a particularly worrisome environmental contaminant, and PM2.5 pollution is becoming a widespread issue. The recent air quality advisories related to PM2.5 pollution in Wisconsin were a result of devastating wildfires in Quebec and Nova Scotia provinces, whose smoke was blown all over the Northeast and Midwest over the past few weeks. I spent most of the past two weeks in Northern Wisconsin in Vilas County, and the hazy conditions and impacted air quality were apparent nearly the entire time I was there. My grandma who lives there is already disabled, and we talked a lot about precautions to take to protect ourselves as instances like these increase in frequency and severity. Climate change is changing fire regimes worldwide, and these recent fires in Canada are just a tiny taste of what is to come in the next few decades. 


Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/05/weather/alberta-canada-wildfires-evacuations/index.html


Source: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/05/15/wildfire-smoke-aloft-over-parts-of-minnesota

                                                                    Course Takeaway

One of the most interesting parts of this course to me was the case study of white-tailed deer in WI in Module 2. It’s a topic that I get asked a lot about by friends and family as someone studying conservation in Wisconsin, so it was very helpful to be able to have a solid bank of knowledge to draw from for future discussions. 


Sources:

https://ecology.wa.gov/Air-Climate/Air-quality/Air-quality-targets/Air-quality-standards/Ozone-pollution#:~:text=But%20at%20ground%20level%2C%20ozone,and%20contributes%20to%20smog%20formation.


https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/fact-sheets/ozone-effects#:~:text=Ozone%20can%20damage%20the%20tissues,crops%2C%20forests%20and%20native%20plants.


https://www.jsonline.com/story/weather/2023/05/24/what-is-air-quality-alert-who-issues-it-in-wisconsin/70251996007/


https://www.c2es.org/content/wildfires-and-climate-change/

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsr2028985

Comments

  1. FionazhangJune 18, 2023 at 2:11 PM

    That sounds like a concerning situation, and it's unfortunate to hear about the air quality issues in Wisconsin. The high ozone and PM2.5 concentrations can indeed have adverse effects on human health, particularly for vulnerable groups. Stay safe and take care of yourself and your grandma during these challenging times.

    ReplyDelete
  2. PranneilJune 18, 2023 at 4:42 PM

    Hi Chloe,

    Good in depth review of two different air pollutants. I also wrote about the Canada wildfire smoke down here in Wisconsin. It is clear just how visible and scary this impact of climate change is. Strange that we have to be weary of air quality even if we do not live near factories or more obvious air polluters.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Winn AnhutJune 18, 2023 at 6:50 PM

    I had heard that the Madison area has been under air quality advisories and assumed the recent fires in Canada were the cause of it but never thought to look deeper into what is in the air due to these fires. Thank you the in depth review of what exactly these fires do to the air. I really hope humans can enact change quickly enough to deter any more serious damage to our ozone and protect environments from potentially being subject to these massive wildfires.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Katie KingJune 18, 2023 at 9:16 PM

    I have also noticed the air quality advisories in Madison. It does make you think about the fact that there is nothing one can do to get away from bad air quality. I've also been seeing videos of how New York is getting hit with the Canada wildfire smoke and it's interesting to see views from skyscrapers that usually overlook the city to being covered in smoke and not being able to see 2 feet in front of you.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment