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Wildfire Smoke Now Threatens Prenatal Health More Than Harmful Human Emissions

In 1965, a presidential advisory panel issued a report warning that pervasive chemical and carbon pollution was harming environmental health and changing the climate. Five years later, President Richard Nixon signed the Clean Air Act. Since that 1970 law and its amendments were passed, combined emissions of a half dozen harmful air pollutants from vehicles and industrial sources have decreased by nearly 80 percent. But mounting evidence shows that pollution from wildfire smoke is eclipsing those air-quality gains. The unchecked burning of fossil fuels is creating warmer, drier conditions that make wildfires more intense and destructive, and blanket communities in toxic smoke that is more harmful than pollution from other sources. Now, a new study shows that smoke from wildfires is also reversing the health benefits of reducing air pollution for society’s most vulnerable population: babies in the womb. Increasing wildfire activity is “systematically offsetting prenatal air quality gains” from reducing emissions from vehicles, refineries, factories and other human sources, researchers from the University of Maryland, College Park, report in the study, published Thursday in Frontiers in Environmental Health. Low-income, rural and Indigenous populations bore the disproportionate burden of wildfire’s contribution to poor air quality, the authors found. The major...

www.bangordailynews.com

High Peaks Alliance conserves Mosher Hill Falls as the Bernard and Jean Kinney Family Forest

FARMINGTON — High Peaks Alliance has conserved Mosher Hill Falls, now known as the Bernard and Jean Kinney Family Forest, preserving the 199-acre forest for public access and community use. The property features a scenic loop trail, the striking 45-foot Mosher Hill Falls, mature conifers and wetlands. Named a “community gem” in the State of the High Peaks reports, the Bernard and Jean Kinney Family Forest will remain open for public enjoyment, recreation, and stewardship for years to come. Steve Kinney, the former owner of the property conserved by High Peaks Alliance and now known as the Bernard and Jean Kinney Family Forest, said, “I chose to name this reserve in honor of my parents because of several factors. My father, being of Irish descent, had a true love of the land and enjoyed spending as many hours as possible out in the woods and pastures of his own property. He was an excellent steward of the land and instilled in us, his children, the importance of caring for it. My mother also enjoyed nature and the outdoors. She hiked, biked, kayaked, and enjoyed cross-country and downhill skiing. Between the two of them, we were shown the importance of nature...

www.news-medical.net

Rising wildfire smoke in the US offsets improvements in prenatal health

Wildfires are well-known health risks. Now, in a new Frontiers in Environmental Health study, researchers in the US have – for the first time – evaluated how prenatal PM2.5 exposure has changed over space and time on a national scale, and what role wildfires play in shaping these trends. We show that prenatal exposure to PM2.5 in the US declined substantially between 2003 and 2019, reflecting major improvements in air quality. At the same time, the contribution of wildfire smoke to prenatal PM2.5 exposure has more than doubled. By 2019, wildfire smoke had become the dominant contributor to high-pollution days experienced during pregnancy in the US." Menglu Liang, first author, assistant clinical professor, University of Maryland Rising wildfire pollution The team ran two computer models to simulate air pollution. The first run included human and natural sources of PM2.5 pollution; including cars, industry output, and fires. In the second run all fire-related pollution was removed. The difference was the estimate for how much PM2.5 pollution was due to wildfires. The researchers also determined on how many days unborn babies were exposed to PM2.5 pollution exceeding 35 micrograms of particles per cubic meter (exceedance days). Levels beyond this value are considered...

www.spreaker.com

The Echoes of Eldergrove

In the heart of Eldergrove Forest, where the trees whispered secrets and the air shimmered with ancient magic, a young girl named Lira wandered. With ...

www.channelnewsasia.com

NParks sterilising long-tailed macaques at Maju Forest to manage population

New: You can now listen to articles. This audio is generated by an AI tool. 07 Aug 2026 06:47PM Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a new cards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST SINGAPORE: Long-tailed macaques in Maju Forest are being sterilised as part of efforts to manage population numbers and reduce human-wildlife encounters. The National Parks Board (NParks) said the sterilisation programme started in June, following feedback from residents about macaques repeatedly entering homes near Sunset Way, Clementi Road and Clementi Avenue 4. NParks' group director for wildlife management How Choon Beng said the board is working with relevant authorities and the community on a multi-pronged approach. This includes minimising human sources of food, expanding outreach and engagement to educate residents on what to do when encountering macaques, and deploying monkey guarding patrols. He added that enforcement efforts are also being undertaken to deter illegal wildlife feeding activities. The latest publicly available figures show that across Singapore, the government received about 2,500...