Thick Smoke Engulfs Our Cities

by Alice Wu

On the morning of February 12, 2023, Canadians wake up to find themselves engulfed in a thick, choking smoke. Correspondence with national leaders of other countries reveal that the entire globe is suffering the same fate. Even in buildings with the most advanced air ventilation systems, people report blinding smoke everywhere, making it hard to work or even breathe. The outdoors has proven to be even worse, with such horrible fog that visibility is about 2 feet.
All traffic has been stopped due to the extreme conditions. Volunteers on foot are distributing food, water, and other necessities to those stuck in their cars as it is predicted that the fog will last more than 24 hours. Some families choose to risk driving to escape to nearby forests, where the smoke is less dense among the trees; however, these decisions have been the cause of more than two hundred car accidents so far.
Government officials are currently in a meeting to determine the safety of an enormous evacuation to emergency camps set up in nearby forests. Although the air would be much cleaner through the trees’ absorbance of the carbon dioxide, it could mean even more deforestation to make space for the entire country in the few small forests still remaining. The loss of even more trees could really mean an apocalypse. The officials’ decision has not been announced yet, but is expected soon as the country chokes and the death rate increases.
In addition, dangerous factories requiring constant maintenance are at risk. Workers are being evacuated due to the perilous conditions, but nuclear safety is also becoming a problem. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has sent small teams of volunteers to pause all activity at nuclear power plants.
This sudden, unpredicted issue has caused worldwide panic. Scientists say that the air pollution resulting from large amounts of deforestation and unnatural forest fires is the cause. Global warming has dried our forests, making the trees more susceptible to large-scale forest fires arising from a single spark; however, more troublesome is the fires from burning fossil fuels, like coal for electricity, or clearing land for more buildings.