To my North American friends east of the Mississippi:
Use N95 masks outdoors when AQI is greater than 100. And if you don't have air purifiers in your home, get them. Honeywell and Coway have reliable models I feel comfortable recommending.
Do not take poor air quality lightly.
We've become hardened experts at living with wildfire and smoke in California over the last 8 years. You don't have to learn the hard way.
Higher levels of CO2 increase survival of viruses in the air & transmission risk
“We knew SARS-CoV-2, like other viruses, spreads through the air we breathe. But this study represents a huge breakthrough in our understanding of exactly how and why that happens, and crucially, what can be done to stop it.
“It shows that opening a window may be more powerful than originally thought . . . causing the virus to become inactivated much faster"
And many someones in overlapping layers of responsibility ENABLED this infection.
This linguistic shift from the passive to active voice might seem irrelevant but, instead of just echoing the framing we see in the headlines — that Neil Gaiman got COVID-19— it’s time to own that somebody has infected Neil.
The passive voice has served a macabre purpose in this pandemic. The passive voice, by erasing the subject of the sentence, neatly obscures accountability, and with it our own role in unmitigated infections. Moreover, it has prevented us from identifying the layers of responsibility in enabling infections on a mass scale. This mental block is the first obstacle to advocating for effective mitigations and constructive solutions. It stops us from preventing infections. But that is changing now.
It is time to own the damage that we are causing by infecting others with COVID-19. I believe that we all know, deep inside, that we are causing harm. And many of us are suffering from the cognitive dissonance of pretending that we aren’t. Because, in a pandemic, this is serious and large-scale harm.
This harm that, according to estimates, has killed over 25 million people and disabled at least 65 million and counting. The sooner we face the harm we are causing by infecting other people, the less damage we will cause to ourselves, to our loved ones, to our community, to strangers on the other side of the world. And to people who entertain and inspire us, like speculative fiction author and TV creator Neil Gaiman. And inspiration is necessary when we are facing so many challenges. It’s that simple.
I use and like the #Aranet4#CO2 monitor. The #Aranet 4 is usually USD$249. It's on sale, direct from the manufacturer, till September 17, for $184.35, with free shipping in the US.
#FunFact
The same N-95, KN-95, and equivalent respirators that protect you from airborne contagious disease also provide protection from wildfire smoke. #MaskUp#AirQuality#CovidIsNotOver
Looks like my area will be back to dangerously unhealthy air quality levels tomorrow because of the #wildfires in Canada. The air is already getting hazy again. Sigh.
I'm weirdly grateful that being #CovidCautious has prepared me for this because I have N95 masks and air filters, but I also worry about those who aren't as privileged. I also think it's appalling how obvious the need for both #ClimateChange action and improved ventilation are, yet we seem to be sliding backwards on these issues instead of addressing them with the urgency we need.
Anyway, I hope everyone is staying safe, and #WearAMask!
Since the smoke came in a couple days ago, I’ve been feeling more tired, somewhat not quite healthy, less able to focus. Family says the same. So: is it the smoke or something else?
If you are in the #bayarea: same for you, or no difference? (Don’t count the annoyance, the #smoke and bad #airquality sure is.)
I’d love to get a bunch of responses, so please reshare if you can. If other observations, please comment.
Quick summary:
• Earth is exceeding its "safe operating space for humanity" in six out of nine key measurements, including #climate, #biodiversity, and land health.
• The oceans' acidity, #airquality, and ozone layer health are the only factors within safe boundaries, but #pollution levels for both air and water are increasing.
• Cleaning up land and saving forests could be one of the most effective ways to combat #climatechange, according to computer simulations.
"Part of the problem stems from misunderstanding the #diversity of the disabled population and the range of their #needs. Many default to the image of someone in a #wheelchair when they hear the term. [But] those with #asthma — which affects about 26 million people in the US — are particularly vulnerable to #AirQuality emergencies. Conditions like #MultipleSclerosis and #CerebralPalsy worsen significantly in high heat and #humidity."
Very high #SaharanDust concentrations predicted to continue this weekend for the Iberian Peninsula by #CopernicusAtmosphere regional forecast. Stay informed about possible hazards with your national and local #airquality services.
The Center for AI Safety and OpenAI founder Sam Altman say that "Mitigating the risk of extinction from A.I. should be a global priority."
I'm more worried about Natural Intelligence. I'm afraid that Natural Intelligence might lead to a global catastrophe due to built-in dopamine reinforcement cycles pushing it to optimize for local minima around short-term rewards. This could lead to Natural Intelligence using environmental resources in an unsustainable manner bringing about climate change and destroying life on earth.
Or maybe I'm just a conspiracy nut and we should listen to the billionaires.
Possibly unrelated, here's some photos of New York City circa 2023.
Also, press that like button so I can get some short-term dopamine rewards!
The world is burning. At this point, should not be an abstract concept anywhere, anymore. 🙁 Time to act to mitigate/reduce global warming/climate change = now... Really, it was several decades ago. 😡