As climate change sparks wildfires, experts highlight the impacts of smoke in Virginia

(Stock photo by Marc A. Hermann / MTA. Sourced through WikiMedia Commons.)

Earlier this summer, wildfire smoke lowered air quality in the Eastern U.S. to its worst levels on record.

While the smoke has mostly cleared in Virginia since July, scientists are sounding the alarm that — with climate change heating up the world and creating drier conditions — smoky summers will grow increasingly common.

“We all woke up and couldn’t see across the street,” said Lucas Henneman, a George Mason University professor. “And we’re thinking, ‘Well, something needs to be done about this.’”

Henneman studies the impacts of air pollution sources on health. He's the co-author of an article about protection from wildfire pollution.

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