In the NewsEartherNovember 16, 2018
California Has the Most Toxic Air on the Planet Thanks to Wildfires
The Camp Fire is an unprecedented disaster in so many ways. Dozens are dead, hundreds are missing, thousands are homeless. But the immediate impacts of the flames are far from the only way it’s assaulting California. As a result of all the smoke, the state is currently home to the worst air quality on the planet. Rhodium Group's Trevor Houser, Lab co-director, says wildfires have long been a leading source of particulate matter pollution in California, and their frequency and severity is growing as the climate changes. “Quantifying this impact on public health, educational and economic outcomes in California and other parts of the world is a critical research task,” Houser said.