Blog
Is The Cram Fire in Oregon a “Megafire”? Experts Disagree
On July 13, 2025, a fire ignited near Willowdale, Oregon, in the remote grasslands of Jefferson County. In the days that followed, it exploded across the region, forcing evacuations, destroying buildings, and blackening the skies. Now spanning more than 95,000...
New Research: Cleaner Air Leads to Better Gut Health
We’ve long known that the air we breathe can shape our respiratory health—but new research is showing that indoor air pollution may also impact something deep inside our bodies: our gut microbiome and virome.1 That’s right. A recent randomized controlled...
The Hidden Toll of Wildfires: A Crisis Beyond the Flames
Wildfires are among the most dramatic and destructive events of our time—burning homes, displacing communities, and reshaping entire landscapes. But beyond the visible devastation, a quieter and more insidious crisis is unfolding. As the climate warms and wildfires become more...
How the U.S. Heat Dome Is Worsening Air Pollution
As the most recent heat dome has tightened its grip across the United States the past few days, scorching more than 90 million people under triple-digit temperatures, another invisible threat is building alongside the heat: polluted air. From New York...
Feeling Sick: Is It a Summer Cold or Wildfire Smoke?
It’s summer—the season of sunshine, fresh air, and… coughing? Sneezing? A sore throat? If you’re feeling under the weather in June or July, you’re not alone. But is it just a harmless summer cold—or could it be wildfire smoke? With...
Air Pollution Meets True Crime with THREE Serial Killers
In Caroline Fraser’s new book Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers (Penguin Press), a chilling but overlooked factor emerges from the shadows of true crime history: environmental toxins. 1 Fraser reveals that three of history’s most...
E-Cigarettes Linked to COPD and Hypertension
Austin Air has been sounding the alarm on e-cigarettes for more than a decade. Now, new data—and a landmark Supreme Court decision—confirm what we warned about back in 2015: e-cigarette use is not without health risks, especially for youth and...
ONGOING AIR QUALITY ALERT: Canadian Wildfires
Updated: Thursday, June 5, 2025 at 4:30 PM (EST) Canadian wildfire smoke continues to impact air quality across the United States, with significant effects observed in the Upper Midwest and Northeast regions. In Minnesota, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA)...
Air Quality Alert in the Midwest and Canadian Prairies
Updated: Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 2 PM (EST) Smoke from extensive wildfires in Canada—especially in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta—continues to drift southward, combining with regional fires in Minnesota, creating dangerous air quality conditions across parts of the Upper Midwest...