Capitalism fouls things up!

July 20 — As of this writing, some 900 wild fires are raging in Canada and Minnesota. Much of the U.S. was recently blanketed by smoke, with the air quality index (AQI) reaching numbers in the range of 500 to 700 or more in some states, including Ohio, Illinois and Michigan. Anything over 300 is considered “hazardous,” meaning everyone — including those not belonging to “sensitive groups” such as children, older adults and people with lung disease — should stay indoors with the windows closed.

The AQI has since dropped but could go back up again. This is a very serious situation. Every year at least 24,100 people die in the U.S. from polluted air and smoke caused by wildfires. (science.org, Feb. 4)

That figure will probably be higher this year due to the recent air quality nightmare. An uptick in deaths is predicted for major Midwestern cities such as Chicago and Detroit.

This is a working-class issue. Bosses are not giving workers time off despite it being unsafe to work, especially outdoors. Even indoors, when the weather is hot in workplaces that are not air conditioned (like factories), doors and windows are open, allowing foul air inside. 

When workers aren’t working, they aren’t producing profits. As usual, safety on and off the job takes a back seat to profits.

This is nothing new. Asbestos companies knew over 100 years ago that their product was linked to mesothelioma and lung cancer, but kept the public in the dark about the danger. Sherwin-Williams pushed lead-based paint after the risks of lead poisoning were known because of the profits their paint generated.

Climate change is driving the increase in wildfires. Contributing factors include drier forests, higher temperatures and increased numbers of insects that damage timbers, making them more flammable.

The burning of fossil fuels is the biggest contributor to climate change. Scientists have identified the environmental hazards associated with burning coal and oil, but the practices continue, because to do otherwise would cut into the profits of the big energy companies.

The capitalist drive for profit is ultimately what created this latest air pollution crisis. The same drive forces workers into life-threatening working conditions. These are two more reasons to abolish the profit system once and for all.

System change, not climate change!