Canadian Wildfire Smoke: A Wake-Up Call for Renewable Energy
Recently, wildfires from Canada have been lighting up the sky all the way to the U.S., turning up the volume on climate change conversations. From Detroit to New York City, even Washington D.C., the East Coast was shrouded in haze coming from Canada’s wildfire smoke, and air pollution levels spiked significantly.
The widespread wildfire smoke from Canada highlights the fact that climate change has no borders. It is a worldwide issue, and the smoke clouds drifting from Canada to the U.S. put a big exclamation point on that. What is the reason behind these increasingly scary wildfires? Mostly, it is all the fossil fuels we have been burning, pumping carbon into the air. It highlights the urgency to switch to renewable energy sources and reduce the use of fossil fuels.
Impact of the Canadian Wildfire Smoke
The smoke from these fires has had some noticeable effects on parts of the U.S., including big cities like New York City and Philadelphia. Smoke from these wildfires has spread across several U.S. states, driven south by a low-pressure weather system, creating hazy conditions—leading to the worst air quality seen in years in many areas.
The U.S. National Weather Service issued air quality alerts for the entire Atlantic seaboard and health officials urged people to stay indoors to avoid potential respiratory problems caused by elevated levels of fine particulates in the atmosphere. That thick, unhealthy smoke forced many folks to ditch their outdoor plans, head indoors, masks up, and put up with nasty air. And the air pollution went off the charts. New York City's air quality index was reported to have topped 320, a pollution level deemed "hazardous" by AirNow.gov.
Weeks after the smoke's initial descent into the United States. the smoke continues to affect the United States' northern cities, particularly in the Midwest. On July 27, IQAir, the organization that tracks air pollution and air quality, ranked Detroit as the worst in the world in terms of air quality as wildfire smoke descended into the U.S.A. again.
The smoke from Canadian wildfires has led to air quality alerts across multiple states, including the Midwest, mid-Atlantic, and Northeast regions. These alerts are in response to the presence of dense fog and heavy smoke, which have significantly degraded air quality. Fine particulate matter known as PM2.5, which is small enough to penetrate the respiratory system, poses a particular health risk. Inhaling these particles can cause damage to the lungs, heart, and immune system.
The effects of the Canadian wildfire smoke have persisted in the Midwest, where air quality has reached "very unhealthy" levels. People living in these areas are advised to take precautions, such as reducing outdoor activities and using masks rated KN95 or N95 when venturing outside. Governor Kathy Hochul of New York has issued warnings about the forecasted entry of smoke into New York airspace, urging residents to be aware of potential unhealthy air quality. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has issued air quality health advisories for various regions, including western and central New York and eastern Lake Ontario.
One surprise from all that wildfire smoke was the major hit to solar power production. In New England, the smoke from the Canadian wildfires caused solar power generation to take a nosedive by more than half during peak demand times. This should be a wake-up call that we need a mix of renewable energy sources, not just solar, but also wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, and more. That way, we can still have power when Mother Nature throws us a curveball.
The Canadian wildfires can be traced back to carbon pollution from the biggest fossil fuel and cement companies. According to a recent study by the Union of Concerned Scientists, these industries are responsible for 37% of the area burned by wildfires in the West since 1986. We have known for a while now that fossil fuels mean more greenhouse gases and hotter global temperatures. These fires should remind us of the disaster waiting in the wings if we do not change our ways.
When wildfires burn, they release even more carbon dioxide into the air, which makes the climate crisis even worse. Fires in U.S. and Canadian boreal forests could let loose about 3% of the remaining global carbon budget between now and 2050. This cycle of wildfires pumping out more carbon, leading to higher temperatures and creating perfect conditions for more wildfires, is a scary feedback loop that we need to stop.
On top of everything else, the wildfires also threw a wrench in the works for the oil and gas industry, making big drillers like Chevron and Paramount Resources shut down the equivalent of at least 240,000 barrels of oil a day. This has caused oil prices to go up temporarily, but it also shows how vulnerable the fossil-fuel industry is to environmental issues. A mix of renewable energy sources offers a more stable, sustainable alternative.
A Wake Up Call for Renewable Energy
These wildfires give us a chance to wake up and act against climate change, especially moving towards renewable energy and reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Switching to renewable energy won't just cut greenhouse gas emissions, it can also boost the economy, create jobs, and improve public health.
To make this change happen, everyone needs to pitch in—governments, corporations, and regular folks like us. We need policies that encourage the use of renewable energy, regulations that reduce fossil fuel emissions, and public awareness campaigns about the benefits of sustainable energy use.
Sesame Solar's renewably powered Mobile Nanogrids are an ideal solution to the drop in solar power production caused by smoke from Canada’s wildfires. Utilizing a mix of renewable energy sources like solar and green hydrogen, Sesame’s Nanogrids provide a continuous loop of reliable, renewable energy. There’s no downtime or additional costs for charging or refueling. If conditions are not ideal for solar, they may be ideal for green hydrogen, or wind, which is also an available energy resource. Sesame Solar's Nanogrids are preconfigured for essential services and emergency response needs, meaning they can be deployed to areas affected by the smoke-related power drop, providing critical power supply within minutes. Nanogrids are easily set up in < 15 minutes by one person, enhancing their adaptability in response to the dynamic and unpredictable nature of wildfire smoke dispersion. Furthermore, as they use renewable energy sources (solar energy and green hydrogen), they do not contribute to the emissions that exacerbate climate change, unlike traditional fossil-fuel-based power solutions.
In the end, the Canadian wildfires show us how everything in our world is connected and remind us of our shared responsibility to tackle the climate crisis. We need to switch from an energy system that relies on fossil fuels to one that uses renewable energy. It might not be easy, but with our determination and the amazing tech we have, the future is looking brighter.
Contact us today to learn more about Sesame Solar’s solutions.
Article written by Isabel Isidro
Photo: A layer of haze seen from downtown Detroit on June 7, 2023 due to the smoke from the Canadian wildfires.
Image Attribution: David Guralnick, The Detroit News
