Wild Smoke: Managing Forest Pollution in Northern British Columbia since 1950

Almost every year, ash drifts from forest fires in north-western Canada into northern Europe, altering forecasts on both continents, settling in Antarctic ice and turning the skies over the world’s major cities an apocalyptic orange. As smoke drifts from the forests into nearby communities and dista...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environment and History
Main Author: JORGENSON, MICA
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Liverpool University Press 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.3197/096734023x16702350656924
https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/whp/eh/10.3197/096734023x16702350656924
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Summary:Almost every year, ash drifts from forest fires in north-western Canada into northern Europe, altering forecasts on both continents, settling in Antarctic ice and turning the skies over the world’s major cities an apocalyptic orange. As smoke drifts from the forests into nearby communities and distant urban centres, it becomes the medium through which most people experience forest fire, leaving traces on memories and bodies. Although wildfires and their associated plumes are getting worse, people have a long and dynamic relationship with forest fire smoke which can be understood through the lens of air pollution and forestry history. Using British Columbia, Canada as a case study, I argue that the difficulty of separating wildfire smoke from other types of air pollution has worked to the advantage of land managers interested in supporting the forestry industry, with negative impacts for northern communities.