Greta Thunberg, a prominent climate activist, used this quote as an introspective call to action to stop climate change. This was prominently displayed back in June, when the people on the East Coast saw their air turn a yellowish-orange, an event that truly seemed straight out of a dystopian novel, all due to the smoke from the Canadian wildfires. Even though the smoke is gone, the wildfires are still happening, perpetuated by the increasing heat and climate change. The New York Times has reported that, so far, wildfires have burned 20 million acres of land, forced around 120,000 people to evacuate their homes, and blanketed around 70 million in smoke and poor air quality. With no signs of approximately 600 active fires stopping, experts have begun to talk about the adverse health effects these prolonged fires are sure to bring, and how to prevent situations like this in the future. However, factors like property damage, evacuations, air pollution, and an increasing number of repairs have caused economic problems on top of glaring environmental effects.
Local Businesses:
Mass evacuations and the destruction of trees have jeopardized local lumber businesses. In the end, this takes a massive toll on Canada, one of the largest exporters of timber, and has significantly raised its prices. The scarcity has become so significant that local construction projects do not have enough wood to finish their work. Local businesses in the affected areas have experienced significant damage. Alberta, Canada alone has put aside 175 million Canadian dollars to cover the immense property damage and evacuations.
The economy of the entire country as a whole has also drastically suffered. The Canadian gross domestic product (GDP) has reduced by an estimated 0.1 ppt (parts per thousand), with the energy industry taking the biggest hit. Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction in Alberta were forced to halt their operations during the fires, raising the prices of energy and oil worldwide and especially in Canada. This is especially concerning as the oil industry is the biggest contributor to their GDP. If this downward trend continues, Canadian GDP could reduce from anywhere between 0.3 to 0.6 ppt, an economic disaster. This becomes even more devastating considering that the Canadian economy was already expected to fall into a recession, only amplifying the problem at hand.
Additionally, the poor air quality has trapped Canadian workers inside, making them unable to perform their jobs, effectively halting the labor industry. And while one could argue that these wildfires have revitalized the paramedical industry, in reality, it has simply overburdened these sectors, and the price to pay for these wildfires outweighs any minuscule benefits it has potentially created. In fact, the situation has become so bleak that one firefighter went on record to say "On many of the fires we don’t even try. The only thing that is going to put out this fire and many across the country is winter, 5 months from now.”
The fires have also heavily impacted the tourism industry, as tourists quickly rushed to cancel reservations and bookings, resulting in 10 million Canadian dollars of losses. The gorgeous landscapes of Canada that attracted tourists in the first place have also suffered monumental destruction, permanently damaging these beautiful landmarks and future prospects for tourism.
Worldwide Impact:
The Canadian wildfires have certainly opened our eyes to the prominent natural disasters that await us with the rise of the global temperature. As we realize the damage we have caused, continued air pollution will add $2,500 a year to American medical bills. Labor workers across the world will lose $125 billion a year due to wildfire smoke, comprising 2% of all labor income. Taking a look at the immense destruction these ongoing wildfires have caused, we must make it an imperative goal to lessen the burden of climate change now, before it is too late.
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