The World Cup final in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area is proceeding amidst concerns over air quality, as dense wildfire smoke from Canada has led to alerts across the United States. The final is scheduled to take place on Sunday in an open-air stadium in the Meadowlands, which is home to the NFL‘s New York Giants and Jets. Approximately 80,000 fans are anticipated to attend the match.
FIFA confirmed on Friday that the negative air quality resulting from the wildfires does not currently pose a threat to the World Cup final. Earlier on Friday, tournament organisers stated they were closely monitoring the situation. Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House World Cup task force, mentioned that discussions had occurred, and a representative from the National Weather Service was present at FIFA headquarters to assist with monitoring.
Air quality concerns and forecasts
On Thursday, the air quality in western regions of New York was deemed “very unhealthy,” while the New York City metro area experienced “unhealthy” air. A thick haze of smoke obscured views across the New York City region, including MetLife Stadium, the Empire State Building, and the Statue of Liberty. Many individuals in the city were observed wearing masks outdoors.
The smoke also affected northern New Jersey, where Spain‘s players conducted an outdoor practice session on Thursday. Air conditions were hazardous due to the Canadian wildfires. Dr. Courtney Howard, an emergency room physician and official with the Global Climate and Health Alliance, expressed concern about high-level athletes practicing outdoors in such conditions, suggesting that indoor facilities would be a more appropriate choice.
Forecasters at the National Weather Service warned that the smoke might intensify overnight into Saturday morning. However, meteorologist Peter Mullinax indicated that forecasts for the northeastern US anticipate some improvement, suggesting the impact might not be as significant as it would have been earlier in the week. Joel Dreessen, an air quality forecaster for Maryland, noted that the key factor for the final would be whether more smoke drifts south after weekend storm systems.
Wildfire situation and climate change connection
The wildfires in Canada continue to burn, with over 200 fires reported to be out of control, particularly in Ontario. While the current damage is less than Canada’s 2023 wildfire season, which saw nearly 18 million hectares burned, the intensity has rapidly increased over the past week. Nearly 2.8 million hectares have burned since the beginning of the year, compared to approximately 1.6 million hectares just a week prior.
Advocates have highlighted the link between recurring episodes of wildfire smoke and climate change. Mark Parrington, a scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, explained that climate change contributes to longer fire seasons, with higher surface air temperatures and lower soil moisture. This creates conditions where fires can burn for extended periods, sometimes for weeks.
The smoke from wildfires contains numerous toxins and can affect nearly every system in the human body, leading to increased asthma cases and inflammation. Mary Johnson, an environmental health research scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health, stated that exercising in such environments is not advisable, even for healthy individuals, due to increased exposure to pollutants. The smoke is expected to clear from the New York-New Jersey area before the championship game on Sunday.
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Source: aljazeera.com
