America is the place where no lives matter. This is not hyperbole. I worked in public health 2019-21. I am a 3rd generation Los Angelian. My nephews live in Long Beach.
My best friend lost everything in the Tubbs fire. She was a renter. And has basically been homeless since the fires back in 2016. Many homeowners were underinsured, and there are many vacant lots in Santa Rosa.
Hurricane Maria- where the mayor was walking through sewage to help her people.
Katrina- so many people died and were displaced. Houston is where most people went- only to lose everything again in Houston floods- and a factory exploded and burned for days.
Look to other large disasters and see what happened. That will be LA- except for where the very rich live- malibu and the palisades- everyone else- it will be the disaster that it is…
We didn’t get clean air with sarscov2, we won’t get clean air for anything. Or, clean water.
At least 1,250,000 Americans died immediately from sarscov2. We don’t know how many people are dying from the effects of sarscov2. Cardiac arrest. Cancer. Strokes. Sepsis. Weakened immune systems that make flu, rsv, norovirus, etc., deadly.
Children died from covid. Teachers. Nurses. EmtS. Baristas. Grocery store baggers. Bus drivers. Engineers. Transplant recipients. Even a billionaire died! No one who has the power and resources to act, will act to save Americans. They do not care how many Americans die, from anything.
2,000 children die every year from abuse by their caregiver. Children starve to death in the USA.
And let’s not even talk about the gun death epidemic.
Yes, this is pessimistic. But it’s reality in the country that has always been owned by the money hoarders.💰
Incredibly informative post. I’ve written about PM2.5 air pollution and I’ve seen few articles explaining so clearly the risk now that people don’t seem to grasp. Thanks for writing and sharing.
I've been trying to holler this to the hills for over a week now, and keep getting told I should "calm down" or "take a xanax". I know it's not what anyone wants to hear or think about in the midst of so much else, but it's REALITY - liking it is optional, it'll stay true either way.
Elastomeric respirator with P100 cartridges rated for vapors, gasses, and odors. Seriously. They even come in small enough sizes that you should be able to find one that will fit most children over kindergarten age. Don't hesitate, just do it now. It's not overreacting - it's reality.
Thank you for sharing. I can't stop thinking about this. So many of us here in L.A. are thinking the same thing: do we stay or do we go? Even in 'unaffected' areas of town, things seem off. What's the cost of leaving? What's the cost of staying? No one wants to think about it, but we need to.
We’re on the same page. I attended the Zoom meeting last night held by the Coalition For Clean Air and they brought up Maui and 9/11. We’re in a very serious situation. I’m so glad you wrote this article, I’m going to share it with everyone I know.
Wow. I am half a country away and have seen videos of the fires on the news. As horrific as the videos are, I'm aware that there is no comparison to seeing it live, much less being driven from my home.
In all of the "this is terrible" thoughts and heartbreak for the people who live there, the fact of the airborne contaminants had not occurred to me (beyond the obvious smoke, of course). It makes perfect sense, but it never would have occurred to me that food miles away could be affected. Good lord.
I will restack this and share it on Facebook as well. Thank you for taking the time to lay it all out, and I hope it gets a lot of eyeballs.
Thank you for sharing this. It echos much of what was said on the 2.5 hour webinar I attended earlier this week put on by the Coalition for Clean Air. I thought I would share the link to the live stream of that broadcast so if people would like even more detailed info or if you would like to watch for yourself: https://www.facebook.com/CleanAirCA/videos/531909709890952
Sadly, this is just the first time we are dealing with this here, but we need to be prepared for it to keep happening. So let’s educate ourselves now and try to spread the word while doing our best to keep our families safe.
Yes, I attended that webinar too! I wrote about my takeaways from it in the substack I posted yesterday. Thank you for sharing the link so anyone interested can watch it as well.
You are the only other person I have found who is talking about 9/11. I am from NYC and was there that awful day and in the weeks and months after. On the UWS, but the whole city was just in mourning, and even uptown you could smell the smoke. I have been living in Santa Monica for over twenty years, I am a mile south of the evacuation line. I realized Wednesday morning when I looked out the window and saw a military osprey flying so low over my house the windows, and the floor beneath me shook, the sky was bright but the wrong color, and I could see ash all over my car - that the thing this was reminding me of was 9/11. Same shock, same grief and loss, same heartbreak in the community wherever you go. I did not have to evacuate, but it was touch and go and my car was packed.
I have friends who’ve lost everything. We have considerably fewer fatalities and no intent, but as you know, it’s been horrific. And I am very worried about the air quality for all the reasons you laid out here so well. I see people walking around without masks because their phones say the air quality is good and they’re “sick of masks” from Covid times. Samohi is back in session and none of the high school kids are masking, I know because I have one. I am wondering if it’s time to go, but my older one is at a UC up north and it’s such a huge undertaking to leave your home, plus my work is here. Nonetheless, it’s very much on my mind.
In the meantime, masking, running the air purifiers, and thinking about what to get for the shower head. Also, not seeing people talking about replacing air filters in their cars very much, and making sure their cars are set to recirculate the air, and not pull it in from the outside. Thank you for this incredible article. I will share it will all my L.A. friends who are able to hear the things that are not so easy to hear right now 😔
America is the place where no lives matter. This is not hyperbole. I worked in public health 2019-21. I am a 3rd generation Los Angelian. My nephews live in Long Beach.
My best friend lost everything in the Tubbs fire. She was a renter. And has basically been homeless since the fires back in 2016. Many homeowners were underinsured, and there are many vacant lots in Santa Rosa.
Hurricane Maria- where the mayor was walking through sewage to help her people.
Katrina- so many people died and were displaced. Houston is where most people went- only to lose everything again in Houston floods- and a factory exploded and burned for days.
Look to other large disasters and see what happened. That will be LA- except for where the very rich live- malibu and the palisades- everyone else- it will be the disaster that it is…
We didn’t get clean air with sarscov2, we won’t get clean air for anything. Or, clean water.
At least 1,250,000 Americans died immediately from sarscov2. We don’t know how many people are dying from the effects of sarscov2. Cardiac arrest. Cancer. Strokes. Sepsis. Weakened immune systems that make flu, rsv, norovirus, etc., deadly.
Children died from covid. Teachers. Nurses. EmtS. Baristas. Grocery store baggers. Bus drivers. Engineers. Transplant recipients. Even a billionaire died! No one who has the power and resources to act, will act to save Americans. They do not care how many Americans die, from anything.
2,000 children die every year from abuse by their caregiver. Children starve to death in the USA.
And let’s not even talk about the gun death epidemic.
Yes, this is pessimistic. But it’s reality in the country that has always been owned by the money hoarders.💰
“America is the place where no lives matter.” - I couldn’t have said this better myself. For all the examples you listed and more.
Incredibly informative post. I’ve written about PM2.5 air pollution and I’ve seen few articles explaining so clearly the risk now that people don’t seem to grasp. Thanks for writing and sharing.
thank you for sharing!
I've been trying to holler this to the hills for over a week now, and keep getting told I should "calm down" or "take a xanax". I know it's not what anyone wants to hear or think about in the midst of so much else, but it's REALITY - liking it is optional, it'll stay true either way.
Elastomeric respirator with P100 cartridges rated for vapors, gasses, and odors. Seriously. They even come in small enough sizes that you should be able to find one that will fit most children over kindergarten age. Don't hesitate, just do it now. It's not overreacting - it's reality.
Thank you so much for writing this piece.
Thank you for sharing. I can't stop thinking about this. So many of us here in L.A. are thinking the same thing: do we stay or do we go? Even in 'unaffected' areas of town, things seem off. What's the cost of leaving? What's the cost of staying? No one wants to think about it, but we need to.
Absolutely horrific but this must be shared.
please do! we should all be paying attention to this.
We’re on the same page. I attended the Zoom meeting last night held by the Coalition For Clean Air and they brought up Maui and 9/11. We’re in a very serious situation. I’m so glad you wrote this article, I’m going to share it with everyone I know.
Thank you for writing this.
Outstanding, thank you so much for this! LA was maddening at times, but it could be magical, too. And now toxic. Heartbreaking.
Thank you for sharing this!
Thank you for sharing this, we need more accurate information on what to do, and what to expect.
Great reporting Isabel
thank you! ❤️🩹
Yes yes yes — insane how few people are taking this seriously
INSANE! I’m so glad you wrote about it too. But where is this in the news?!
Wow. I am half a country away and have seen videos of the fires on the news. As horrific as the videos are, I'm aware that there is no comparison to seeing it live, much less being driven from my home.
In all of the "this is terrible" thoughts and heartbreak for the people who live there, the fact of the airborne contaminants had not occurred to me (beyond the obvious smoke, of course). It makes perfect sense, but it never would have occurred to me that food miles away could be affected. Good lord.
I will restack this and share it on Facebook as well. Thank you for taking the time to lay it all out, and I hope it gets a lot of eyeballs.
Thank you for sharing this. It echos much of what was said on the 2.5 hour webinar I attended earlier this week put on by the Coalition for Clean Air. I thought I would share the link to the live stream of that broadcast so if people would like even more detailed info or if you would like to watch for yourself: https://www.facebook.com/CleanAirCA/videos/531909709890952
Sadly, this is just the first time we are dealing with this here, but we need to be prepared for it to keep happening. So let’s educate ourselves now and try to spread the word while doing our best to keep our families safe.
Yes, I attended that webinar too! I wrote about my takeaways from it in the substack I posted yesterday. Thank you for sharing the link so anyone interested can watch it as well.
Thinking about this- is there a country where lives matter? I can’t think of one…
You are the only other person I have found who is talking about 9/11. I am from NYC and was there that awful day and in the weeks and months after. On the UWS, but the whole city was just in mourning, and even uptown you could smell the smoke. I have been living in Santa Monica for over twenty years, I am a mile south of the evacuation line. I realized Wednesday morning when I looked out the window and saw a military osprey flying so low over my house the windows, and the floor beneath me shook, the sky was bright but the wrong color, and I could see ash all over my car - that the thing this was reminding me of was 9/11. Same shock, same grief and loss, same heartbreak in the community wherever you go. I did not have to evacuate, but it was touch and go and my car was packed.
I have friends who’ve lost everything. We have considerably fewer fatalities and no intent, but as you know, it’s been horrific. And I am very worried about the air quality for all the reasons you laid out here so well. I see people walking around without masks because their phones say the air quality is good and they’re “sick of masks” from Covid times. Samohi is back in session and none of the high school kids are masking, I know because I have one. I am wondering if it’s time to go, but my older one is at a UC up north and it’s such a huge undertaking to leave your home, plus my work is here. Nonetheless, it’s very much on my mind.
In the meantime, masking, running the air purifiers, and thinking about what to get for the shower head. Also, not seeing people talking about replacing air filters in their cars very much, and making sure their cars are set to recirculate the air, and not pull it in from the outside. Thank you for this incredible article. I will share it will all my L.A. friends who are able to hear the things that are not so easy to hear right now 😔