Room For All

[Tabitha]

I really had health issues with the smoke last Aug. I have central air conditioning but needed an extra aircleaner as well. I had to leave several indoor events as the air quality was too poor. I think last summer's smoke was the reason I had a chest infection-really lung infection-most of the fall.

 

[Mendalla]

I think last summer's smoke was the reason I had a chest infection-really lung infection-most of the fall.

Quite likely. I know when we lived in Hamilton in the nineties there were studies showing high rates of chest and respiratory illness in neighbourhoods downwind of the factories, i.e. where the air quality was worst. We weren't really in that area but it definitely wasn't the nicest area, either.

 

[ChemGal]

I just read that the air quality numbers in Grande Prairie are off the charts. Last year we had numbers of 15 or so and it was awful. I read that the numbers are in the 20's and 30's now. I can't even imagine.

We topped out at a 72 yesterday, about a 7 now.

 

[Northwind]

We topped out at a 72 yesterday, about a 7 now.

Are they using a different scale this year? I've seen some videos and pictures of the smoke. It's horrible.

 

[Northwind]

Good morning/afternoon. What happened to the coffee/tea cart? I realize it's getting later in the day in some parts.

I've just made a pot of fresh coffee and a pot of lovely Irish Breakfast tea from a local Scottish deli here in town. Milk, cream, sugar, honey and the like are here. There is an assortment of herbal teas and the kettle is just off the boil. There's a couple of platters of goodies to go with your bevvy. Since this is a virtual snack, all your favourites are there.

Enjoy.

 

[ChemGal]

Are they using a different scale this year? I've seen some videos and pictures of the smoke. It's horrible.

Nope, still the 10 point scale, they just rarely state an actual number when it's 10+. The warnings were all the same, but some news sites gave what it was after the fact.

 

[Mendalla]

Irish Breakfast tea

Yummy. I am drinking sencha (Japanese green tea) this afternoon.

Showers are here but very intermittent. Managed to not get wet shopping. Got some spring cleaning done this morning. Took the covers off the ceiling fixtures to clean them out and took most of our art collection down to dust.

 

[Northwind]

Nope, still the 10 point scale, they just rarely state an actual number when it's 10+. The warnings were all the same, but some news sites gave what it was after the fact.

How can a 72 land on a 10 point scale? I've also seen numbers like 26 and 36 for the GP area. That makes me wonder if there's more than one scale being used.

 

[Carolla]

Happy Saturday all! It's a coolish day here, with rain & thunderstorms coming in this evening, according to the forecast. So a good cuppa tea is appreciated. I spent several hours over at the school garden today - so I am shortly heading to the shower Got a lot more weeding done & another bed further prepared for perennials to be planted this week. I'm off to a party this evening for a young friend who turned 30 on the 30th - apparently that's called a 'champagne birthday' when date and year match up. Should be fun.

 

[Mendalla]

Happy Saturday all! It's a coolish day here, with rain & thunderstorms coming in this evening, according to the forecast. So a good cuppa tea is appreciated. I spent several hours over at the school garden today - so I am shortly heading to the shower Got a lot more weeding done & another bed further prepared for perennials to be planted this week. I'm off to a party this evening for a young friend who turned 30 on the 30th - apparently that's called a 'champagne birthday' when date and year match up. Should be fun.

Damn. Never heard that before. Sigh, my "champagne birthday" happened when i was 4 so no champagne.

 

[Mendalla]

with rain & thunderstorms coming in this evening, according to the forecast

There's a nasty looking front coming my way. Triggered a tornado warning in Kingville (near Windsor). Our watch has been upgraded to a warning until it passes.

 

[ChemGal]

How can a 72 land on a 10 point scale? I've also seen numbers like 26 and 36 for the GP area. That makes me wonder if there's more than one scale being used.

The scale is based on risk, anything 10 and higher is very high risk. A typical day isn't going to go above 10, so the rating on the risk scale just states 10+. The numbers do come from actually data regarding what's in the air though, so they can still be converted onto a scale numerically, but once above 10 it's basically no one should be doing activity outside.

The AQHI is calculated based on the relative risks of a combination of common air pollutants that is known to harm human health. These pollutants are:

• Ozone (O3) at ground level,
• Particulate Matter (PM2.5/PM10) and
• Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2).

The AQHI is measured on a scale ranging from 1-10+. The AQHI index values are grouped into health risk categories as shown below. These categories help you to easily and quickly identify your level of risk.

• 1-3 Low health risk
• 4-6 Moderate health risk
• 7-10 High health risk
• 10 + Very high health risk

We could do similar with temperatures & risk of heat stroke - imagine a 6 point scale. ie.
1. very low risk <20C
2. low risk, exercise can create a bit of risk 20-25C
3. moderate risk 25-30C
4. high risk 30-35C
5. very high risk 35-40C
6. extremely high risk, anything above 40C

We can see that 52C would fall at an 8 on this scale if the numbers continued. In Canada though there isn't really a need to inform people above 6 that they should be staying in an airconditioned space as much as possible.

 

[Mendalla]

We could do similar with temperatures & risk of heat stroke - imagine a 6 point scale. ie.
1. very low risk <20C
2. low risk, exercise can create a bit of risk 20-25C
3. moderate risk 25-30C
4. high risk 30-35C
5. very high risk 35-40C
6. extremely high risk, anything above 40C

We can see that 52C would fall at an 8 on this scale if the numbers continued. In Canada though there isn't really a need to inform people above 6 that they should be staying in an airconditioned space as much as possible.

Do we even need anything above your 5 level in Canada? 35-40 would already be in record territory for most parts of the country. Here in Southwestern Ontario, the high humidity means we often get heat warnings being tripped and cooling centres opened well below that level (in your "4" level).

 

[Northwind]

I remember several days last year where it went above 10 and they were saying it was around 15 or so. Those days were pretty close to unbearable. When I saw the doctor this week, we asked about my cough and told him I'd had similar episodes of coughs that sent my system into spasms. He said I likely had a reactive respiratory system. A notch below asthma. That fit. It was very reactive last year. I have empathy for people with asthma since they must feel even worse and be more incapacitated.

 

[ChemGal]

Do we even need anything above your 5 level in Canada? 35-40 would already be in record territory for most parts of the country. Here in Southwestern Ontario, the high humidity means we often get heat warnings being tripped and cooling centres opened well below that level (in your "4" level).

Probably not, not sure what the normal highs are in some of the hotter places.
Same idea though.

 

[BetteTheRed]

Daughter is staying with me for a month between places. Forgotten how much I miss the sound of enthusiastic uke playing accompanied by a familiar flat tenor.

 

[Tabitha]

oh Mendalla You are so central Canada.
Yes it gets above 40 here. And may I also say when we lived in Inuvik it was often the hotspot in Canada (in part because the sun didn't set and it didn't cool off..
It is 35 by my thermometer in the shade right now. and it is June. It will get hotter in July and Aug.

 

[Tabitha]

How nice Bette-You had missed her. Did her boyfriend move in as well?

 

[Redbaron]

Good morning, all! The coffee cart is up and running. All manner of warming beverages are ready. Help yourself.

C(_)/ c(_) c\_/ c[_]

 

[Seeler]

Daughter is staying with me for a month between places. Forgotten how much I miss the sound of enthusiastic uke playing accompanied by a familiar flat tenor.

You sound happy to have her home. I hope the good times continue for you both. (I, too, have had children return for a time after leaving home. Often this was due to a change in their circumstances, and they need a safe place to adjust. I was glad to be able to help out and to have their company, but sometimes I missed the freedom of the empty nest.)