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There’s a bleak message written in Philly’s haze: climate change is at our doorstep | Editorial

For many in the Philadelphia region, human-induced climate change has been more of an abstract event. But smoke wafting down from Canada is a sign that climate change is here and getting worse.

Philadelphia City Hall, as seen from the Parkway, is covered in a haze because of Canadian wildfire smoke Wednesday.
Philadelphia City Hall, as seen from the Parkway, is covered in a haze because of Canadian wildfire smoke Wednesday.Read moreAlejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

The eerie haze engulfing the Philadelphia region has the look and feel of Armageddon. While the end times are not here yet, the campfire smell and smoke wafting down from Canada is climate change at our doorstep.

Hundreds of wildfires raging across 10 provinces and territories in Canada have burned 3.7 million acres and caused thousands of residents to evacuate their homes, sending plumes of smoke into the atmosphere.

Air quality alerts warning of health risks from polluted air have been issued throughout much of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and stretching to the Florida-Georgia border. A code red was issued in Philadelphia on Wednesday, warning residents to stay indoors because fine particle pollution in the atmosphere can damage hearts and lungs.

New York City urged vulnerable residents to wear masks if they go outdoors. Some schools in our region canceled outdoor recess and class trips, while airports have closed and flights were canceled in parts of British Columbia.

For many in the Philadelphia region, human-induced climate change can feel abstract and distant. Wildfire smoke is seasonal in the West, but here? Our region has — until now — been spared from the extreme wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, and tornadoes that have beset other parts of the country and the world.

However, our area has faced its share of heat waves, flooding, and severe storms. In fact, 2022 was one of the warmest years on record in Philadelphia, and there was no major snowfall last winter, while last month was the driest May on record.

Philadelphians, in recent years, have been no strangers to extremes. Six of the wettest years on record in Philadelphia occurred after 1990. In 2021, high winds and torrential downpours from Hurricane Ida battered the region, flooded the Vine Street Expressway, and caused billions of dollars in damage. In 2020, Tropical Storm Isaias sparked two tornadoes, record rainfall, and floods, and left 600,000 utility customers in the region without power.

In other words, climate change is here, and it is getting worse. This is our new normal.

A recent report issued by Drexel University from a coalition of environmental scientists said more frequent and intense heat waves and floods, along with rising tides flushing more chemicals and saltwater into the Delaware River, could impact drinking water.

The scientists also predicted sea levels in Philadelphia will increase 7 to 11 inches by the 2030s, and temperatures could increase by 4.1 to 5.8 degrees by the 2050s. The researchers recommended studying the health impacts of flooding, improving building codes, and exploring whether changes in building designs can offset stormwater runoff.

“Without focused attention, climate change will exacerbate existing inequities, making environmental injustices more pronounced,” Chris Linn, manager of the Office of Climate and Environment at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, said.

Indeed, research shows many redlined neighborhoods lack parks and trees, are more condensed, and have more concrete. As a result, some Philadelphia neighborhoods can be as much as 22 degrees warmer than other parts of the city. Air pollution and climate change are exacerbating health impacts on the already high rate of children in the city who suffer from asthma.

After then-President Donald Trump wrongly and recklessly announced plans in 2017 to quit the Paris climate agreement, Mayor Jim Kenney joined with other mayors and governors to uphold the values of the international accord at the local level.

Kenney promised to reduce emissions from city-owned buildings by 50%, reduce built environment energy use by 20%, and transition the city to 100% renewable electricity. The city’s record in achieving its goals has been mixed, according to a report by the Philadelphia Citizen.

President Joe Biden rightly rejoined the Paris Agreement, underscoring how much elections matter as many Republican lawmakers continue to deny climate change or do little to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Biden administration has also implemented a series of regulations and made a historic $370 billion investment in clean energy funds from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act to combat climate change.

But climate scientists warn that time is running out, and radical steps must be taken over the next decade to address the worsening effects of climate change. The hazy air blanketing Philadelphia and other parts of the country is just the latest reminder that some of the dystopian impacts of climate change are already just outside our door.