Opinion: The Canadian wildfires should be a wake-up call to us all

Abby Drey/adrey@centredaily.com  PENNSYLVANIA

Lydia Shen
Fri, June 23, 2023

Like many other Centre County residents, I stepped out of my house a couple weeks ago to find my neighborhood engulfed in a pale gray haze and a strange, smoky smell.

But there was no mistaking this scene for someone’s backyard cookout gone wrong. I was standing amid smoke caused by Canadian wildfires hundreds of miles to the north, drifting into central Pennsylvania and creating such dire air pollution that state officials issued a rare Code Red alert — meaning that the air quality was unhealthy for the general public.

Mother Nature is sending us an unequivocal message, and we must heed her warning: If we fail to mitigate climate change, we will continue to grapple with its consequences in the years to come. These recent wildfires are just one example. Rising temperatures cause droughts, dry air and more frequent lightning strikes, creating the perfect conditions for an entire forest to ignite. These events put both humans and wildlife alike in harm’s way — experts believe that spending 24 hours outside in some of Canada’s recent air quality conditions can cause the equivalent lung damage of smoking up to nearly 11 cigarettes. This year’s wildfire season alone has displaced more than 20,000 Canadians, a number that will only rise from here on out.

The ongoing growth in global temperatures, if left unchecked, will come with a host of other concerns besides wildfires. Coastal damage due to ice cap melting and sea level rise. Intense hurricanes and tropical storms wreaking havoc on vulnerable communities. Heat waves worse than the ones that swept across the U.S. last year, and ecosystems completely upended as natural habitats are destroyed. And living through all of this, forced to bear the consequences of our current inaction, will be each of us — regardless of where you live or what you believe in.

My generation is watching. We are watching as biospheres are damaged for pure economic benefit, as the scope of the Clean Water Act is drastically limited and precious natural resources are sacrificed in the name of profit. We are alarmed, and we are certainly not impressed. On an individual level, it may be easy to write off the environmental consequences of your own actions. But when many people do so, across towns, counties and nations, the effects will be felt. By continuing to dispel greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere at the present rate, we only enable and encourage more wildfires, more hurricanes, and more heat waves.

Climate change is here, and it’s here now. It will only get worse if we don’t set our priorities straight. My personal mantra is think globally, act locally. Look at the big picture, and take the extra step to sort your recyclables, compost in your garden, or buy from the local farmers market. Turn off that light switch, visit the thrift shop down the street, and consider investing in an electric car. The average U.S. citizen has an annual carbon footprint of 16 tons, and by making just one of these simple changes, you can reduce that amount by up to 1.95 tons. In doing so, you’ll be shaping a better future for the next generation to live in.

These are not the first wildfires we’ve encountered, and they certainly won’t be the last. But let them be a warning sign, a reality check. There is no plan B — no planet B. This is the only earth we have been given, and we must do everything we can to protect it.

Lydia Shen is a senior at State College Area High School, where she is co-president of the Environmental Club and president of Ocean Bowl.