The smoke-filled air coming from the Canadian wildfires is an urgent warning that we must address the climate crisis. This is a critical time to bring together nursing and public health knowledge, skills, and leadership to address the needs of communities and help protect them.
We must work to help provide accurate information and material support to help reduce exposure and demand that policy makers move away from investments in fossil fuels immediately.
You can help get the message out that:
- Air pollution at these levels is harmful to ALL but especially elderly, pregnant, and infant/child populations and those with respiratory and cardiovascular conditions
- Encourage people to stay indoors and bring pets indoors too
- If people must go outdoors, they need a well-fitted N-95, KF-94, or KN-95 mask (help provide these, if possible)
- When indoors: for those with HVACs, turn on the fan and use the highest level filter the system can handle; if no HVAC, use an air purifier with a high quality filter or make your own DIY inexpensive Corsi-Rosenthal box.
How to create a DYI Corsi-Rosenthal box filter: https://cleanaircrew.org/box-fan-filters/
More from Dr. Cecilia Tomori on climate change:
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: CECILIA TOMORI
Cecília Tomori, PhD, is an anthropologist and public health scholar whose work investigates the structural and sociocultural drivers that shape health, illness, and health inequities. Follow her on social @DrTomori.