Paying the price for global warming
In addition to the horrific loss of life and property, human and animal displacement, and obvious impacts to the environment caused by the massive wildfires up and down the West Coast, there are many untold costs that pale in comparison. One of those inconveniences is being forced to stay inside the house, not just because of COVID-19, but because the air has been rated as hazardous to breathe. In the last several years, this has become an end-of-summer event; dreaded, but expected. This year, however, was the worst. The Inlander reported that Spokane, WA and the vicinity experienced record hazardous air quality in September, maxing out the top of the AQI (Air Quality Index) range for the better part of a day, which shattered the previous record. Alaska Airlines suspended all of its flights from Portland and Spokane on September 15, due to the massive amount of smoke from the wildfires, according to USA Today. Large numbers of schools in Oregon announced...