Daily Herald opinion: The air we breathe: Weather and environmental events have long- and short-term consequences

The past week brought its share of noteworthy news events. The president made a televised address to re-re-re-reiterate his false assertions that election corruption cost him the election of 2020. The United States and Iran continued to trade missile strikes in their war/nonwar. Bears CEO Kevin Warren kept the NFL franchise’s stadium location shell game alive with a familiar theme that the team is pursuing an option somewhere other than Arlington Heights — this time in Hammond, Indiana — but the suburbs remain in contention. Protests surged in Maine and in Texas over new killings by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Protesters turned out in the suburbs to complain about increased fares on the Illinois Tollway.

These are all significant events, to be sure. But perhaps the story of the week that captured the suburbs’ attention most directly was the combination of extreme July heat and the murky, literally breath-taking smoke that clouded the region and much of the Midwest courtesy of 4 million acres ablaze in central Canada. In such conditions, it is natural to bring climate change into the conversation — and while it is true that massive wildfires have been a feature of the environment going back to prehistoric times, it is also true that climate scientists have been predicting that these and other natural disasters would become more frequent and more intense unless humans find ways to minimize the impact they are having.

So, the climate conversation is an important one to keep having. But, as we coughed, wheezed and squinted our way through the air quality warnings of the past week, we were also struck by another, more immediately consequential theme.

Personal safety.

As we reported in a front-page story on Friday, air-quality monitors reported “hazardous” conditions on Thursday with particulate matter pollution in many Chicago suburbs as much as six times higher than is considered safe. And the risks go beyond the usual suspects of young children, seniors and people with health or breathing problems. They apply to everyone.

The conditions began to ease somewhat here on Friday night and into Saturday morning, but forecasters warned that new smoke plumes could still be headed our way and impact our air for days to come.

At such times, it is critical for all of us to prioritize safeguards over our health. Stay indoors as much as possible, using air conditioners and air purifiers to keep the air in our homes cool and clean. Stay hydrated. Limit the time you spend outdoors, and wear an N95 mask if you must be outdoors. Note that typical surgical masks, although valuable, do not filter out the microscopic particles responsible for most health impacts of pollution.

“The problem with these really small particles is that they bypass those filters,” Brian Urbaszewski, director of environmental health programs for the Chicago-based Respiratory Health Association, told our reporters. “They get into the deepest portion of your lungs and from there, they can get into your bloodstream and circulate throughout your body.”

And, of course, be sure to monitor your pets and check on family, friends and acquaintances, especially those who have compromised respiratory or immune systems.

Air-quality conditions like those we have been experiencing ought appropriately to renew our conversations regarding the impact of climate change and what to do about it. But they also carry the important message that we have to concentrate on the immediate need to keep ourselves healthy so we can be around to save the planet.