Monday, Aug. 27. The day most people in the Shuswap breathed a collective sigh of relief, followed by an inhale of beautifully fresh air.
Monday was the day the wildfire smoke lifted from Salmon Arm, albeit somewhat temporarily, after what seemed like months under the heavy pall of thick, oppressive air that obscured the mountains, the trees and even the sun.
It was a distressing time, not knowing when the smoke would clear and, at times, wondering if it ever would.
Like many people, I’m sure, I spent as much time as I possibly could outdoors that day, relishing the sparkling blue sky, the radiant sunshine, the rich variety of greens glistening in the fresh air.
Air quality during those most smoky of days was ranked at levels worse than the most polluted cities in the world.
As I sat in a little oasis of green that Monday, basking in the beauty and freedom of being able to go outside and breathe,I could hear other people outdoors, also revelling in the change in atmosphere.
Then came the sound of a lawn mower. And another. And a third. The sound didn’t bother me – it brought me back to summer days of my childhood actually – but I noticed I was starting to cough a little. The smell of gasoline fumes wafted under my nose and my chest tightened.
I’ve been lucky to have escaped respiratory problems in my life, but on this day I was still struggling with a cough that was born a week or so earlier as I walked and worked during the Roots & Blues Festival – enjoying the music and festivities but disliking all the wildfire (and probably other) smoke I was breathing. I experienced just a tiny glimpse of what people with respiratory problems must live with daily. And how bizarre people’s habits and priorities must seem to them.
How do we mark the first day in many when the air is finally clear? We fire up gas-powered engines and fill our surroundings with fumes.
Related: Smoky skies today in the Okanagan and Shuswap
Related: Tips to protect yourself under smoky skies
While I understand the desire to have manicured yards, maybe this is one of the things we need to re-think, based on what our climate is doing. What better time, really, to completely overhaul our thinking. Instead of leaving cars idling by the ticket dispenser in the parking lot while buying a ticket, how about turning the engine off? Instead of going through a drive-thru where idling is the norm, how about parking the car and walking inside?
We could, actually, work towards creating the most environmentally friendly town in B.C., maybe in all of Canada. That would undoubtedly be a draw for visitors.
How about an all-access, car pooling system? How about less asphalt, which would generate less expense and less heat during hot weather? How about a prohibition on clear-cutting?
How about more trees and fewer air-conditioning systems?
Many people already take steps in this direction, and much greater minds than mine have thought of countless ways to protect our precious air. Creating clean air today will have an effect tomorrow on the climate change behind forest fires.
So if protecting the planet is too big or too intangible a goal, then an even better reason to do it is for the person sitting nearby.
There’s a good chance they must use an inhaler and a myriad of medications just to set foot outside their homes and into the air that most of us do our part to pollute every day.
@SalmonArm
marthawickett@saobserver.net
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