https://www.wsj.com/articles/thats-smoke-not-climate-change-canada-fire-forest-management-new-york-d8dcdb65?mod=opinion_lead_pos8
Around 1 p.m. on Wednesday the sky began to darken, and an orange haze descended on Manhattan. I watched in amazement from my Midtown office as Mother Nature dimmed the lights and quietly reminded Gotham City of her awesome power.
What made New Yorkers feel as if they were on Mars was smoke from forest fires that wafted south from the Canadian province of Quebec and hung around amid a stalled weather pattern. People in New York tend to be outside more than most Americans because their commutes involve traveling on foot rather than going from door to door in a car. Residents were told to avoid exposure to the bad air. The Yankees postponed their game with the White Sox. Exceedingly low visibility forced LaGuardia Airport to ground planes for a time. By evening the worst had passed, though the smell of something burning lingered.
If only the effects on public policy were equally fleeting.
Evaluating the causes of this complex event calls for humility, curiosity and thoughtfulness. But politicians are in charge. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer jumped in front of a camera on Wednesday to proclaim that “we cannot ignore that climate change continues to make these disasters worse.” President Biden called the Canada burn “another stark reminder of the impacts of climate change.” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau joined the chorus.