Tracie Dawn Williams

The collective malaise of an uncertain future

On June 7, 2023 smoke from the Canadian wildfires engulfed New York City, creating a scene of both wonderment and despair. “Hazardous” air quality alerts prompted closures, with health officials warning people, especially those in sensitive groups, to limit their time outdoors or stay inside. Canada, whose 895 million acres of forest cover about a third of total land area, experiences wildfires every year. But this year’s conflagrations have been particularly widespread, numerous and intense. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, “multiple studies have found that climate change has already led to an increase in wildfire season length, wildfire frequency, and burned area…[caused by] factors including warmer springs, longer summer dry seasons, and drier soils and vegetation.” As the temperature of the planet increases every year, so does our collective malaise of an uncertain future.