Widely circulated photos showed New York City appearing hazy and orange, while other parts of the country also faced dire impacts.
Overall, the Environmental Protection Agency estimated that more than 100 million people are being impacted by air quality alerts on Wednesday, including as far west as Chicago and as far South as Atlanta, though it’s possible that local pollution may have also been a contributor in some areas.
“This is particularly dangerous for people with underlying respiratory and heart conditions,” said Jeff Schlegelmilch, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, in an email.
“Exacerbation of current conditions like asthma and COPD, among others, can become life threatening issues in the near term,” Schlegelmilch added.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called the situation “yet another alarming example of the ways in which the climate crisis is disturbing our lives and our communities.”
Read more in a full report at TheHill.com.
