Last month, while sprinting down the corridor in Terminal A at PHL, I was struck that the last-minute effort to reshuffle what was in my family’s luggage might actually prevent us from making our flight. Missing the flight would be a drag … But the reasons for the last-second re-pack really weighed on me.
Our bags were ready for a family trip to Canada days before heading out, but as I looked out our windows at hazy Philly skies, I realized we were heading towards the forest fires pumping out smoke that was smudging the air here. And that we would be stopping in Minneapolis on the way back, which at that moment had some of the worst air quality on the planet as a result of the smoke from those same forest infernos. We were going to need masks … and maybe a lot of them.
I happen to work for one of the biggest environmental groups in the country. We talk about climate policy every day. I have colleagues with careers devoted to dealing with the public health risks associated with the worsening impacts of a warming planet; not to mention the growing disruptions, displacement, and disasters around the world.
But this trip was the first time I realized that I was actually, actively, packing for climate change.
Despite going to high elevation mountains, we would be dealing with heatwaves. Shorts and T-shirts would be our uniform even though cooler temperatures are the norm up there, even in the height of summer. And seeing news reports of forest fire evacuations in a town less than 15 miles to the north of where we would be staying, while huge and growing conflagrations were also raging to the east of our destination, all made clear that even if we were safe from fires, we were not safe from the airborne particulate matter they were sloughing off. The heat waves contributed to those fires worsening. And I needed to pack accordingly.
As the increasing impacts of climate change creep into our daily lives, it is essential that we note them.
I do not mean to whine about packing, or vacations. It sounds awfully privileged. But as the increasing impacts of climate change creep into our daily lives, it is essential that we note them. And climate considerations are going to have to be the new norm for vacation season. Heading to the national parks out West? Or are you lucky enough to be able to take a European jaunt to Greece, France, or Spain? Well, climate change is turbo-charging fire season in those places right now too. Heck, folks have had to navigate around big fires in the Pine Barrens just to get to Jersey Shore beaches in recent years. You are going to have to pack for that mess.
The changes may seem subtle, but they are very real. In Philly, we are already used to hot summers, but according to Climate Central our temperatures are up 3.8 degrees, which is a sharper rise than average in the Lower-48, since 1970. And according to the Climate Shift Index, we have already suffered through 23 days of soaring temperatures this year, made twice as likely by climate change.
As Climate Central observes, Pennsylvania has experienced 46 more billion-dollar disasters from severe storms since 2005, compared to the previous two decades. While the smoke drifting through Philadelphia a couple weeks ago was not as bad as it was in places like Detroit and Chicago, or the alarming sepia-toned skies we can all remember from a few years ago, it was noticeable. And if you have respiratory problems, it was dangerous.
Climate scientists have long predicted increased dangerous heat, rain being delivered in more condensed and violent storms that would bring increased flooding, and growing incidences of forest fires. We are living those things right now. Recognizing those impacts helps to make clear the importance of doing all we can to stave off the worst impacts that climate change will throw at us.
While federal action on climate seems unlikely in this moment, there is much to be done to deal with the climate mess around us. That starts with addressing the pollution at the heart of the problem and doing all we can to push for clean energy solutions, that also happen to be the cheapest and fastest to deploy sources of energy right now. But it also means recognizing the increased dangers we face daily.
Heat is not just a vacation packing issue — it is a threat to the workforce. PA House Bill 1580 would set up commonsense protections for folks dealing with the heat every day at work — simple things like water breaks and access to shade are precautions workers in this state need to prevent heat-related illnesses, injuries, and deaths when temperatures soar. Incredibly, while PA could adopt new heat standards, Congress is considering legislation that would prohibit similar federal rules, which seems bonkers as we all suffer through this sweltering summer.
In the meantime, we are all going to need to pack for climate change moving forward, so make sure to throw some of those N-95 masks into your bag now to avoid packing stress when vacation time comes.
Josh Mogerman works for NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and lives in Center City Philadelphia.
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