Canada faced a tough year in 2023 with wildfires burning across 42 million acres of its forest land. These fires pushed air pollution levels in both Canada and the US to highs not seen in years, wiping out progress made in cleaning the air. According to researchers at the University of Chicago, this wildfire season was the second worst on record for Canada, raising serious concerns about health and air quality.
More than half of Canadians breathed air that did not meet the country’s national clean air standards, a steep increase compared to less than 5% in recent years. The smoke and pollution from these fires didn’t just stay in Canada—they also worsened air quality in the United States and parts of Europe.
This surge in pollution comes as fine particles released by vehicles, power plants, and industry also rose slightly worldwide in 2023. Experts say that fossil fuels play a big role by making wildfires more likely and severe, and by adding pollution when burned. This pollution is especially harmful to people who have asthma or other breathing problems and can increase the risk of serious diseases like lung cancer and heart disease.
Michael Greenstone, an economics professor at the University of Chicago, explained that the pollution we face today is tied to fossil fuels burned since the Industrial Revolution. Even countries that worked hard to clean their air now face the effects of this long history of pollution, which shortens and harms lives.
On a global scale, air pollution was almost five times higher than what the World Health Organization recommends. The fine particle pollution is one of the leading threats to how long people live, similar in danger to smoking. The study found that cleaning the air to meet these guidelines could add nearly two years to the average person’s life.
Some regions are hit harder than others. South Asia, including countries like India and Pakistan, faces the worst pollution, cutting life expectancy by about three years on average and even more in certain areas. In parts of Latin America, particle pollution is a bigger health risk than violence or self-harm. In some African countries, such as Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, pollution causes more harm than well-known killers like HIV/AIDS and malaria.
The wildfires and pollution make it clear how connected environmental health and human health are. As the planet warms and burning fossil fuels continues, these challenges are likely to rise. For now, the smoke hanging over Canada and beyond is a sharp reminder that clean air is fragile and needs protection.