General Resources

I have information about my area that I would like to share. How should I do that?

  • You can fill out this form! You can submit information completely anonymously, or provide your preferred contact information if you want to provide additional details.

There’s no info for my city. What should I do?

  • In general, your local public library is pretty likely to have an HVAC system with air filtration. You can always reach out to them and ask!
  • Other indoor public spaces can have HVAC systems as well–movie theaters, malls, gyms, community centers, etc. It is worth calling/emailing or looking them up online first.
  • Ask friends and family if they have extra N95 masks that they can share with you.
  • Reach out to people who can make change in your area, and fight for clean air yourself!
    • Reach out to your local government officials - your mayor, city council representative, local public health officials, public transit officials, library board, and similar decisionmakers - and ask them about what clean air resources are available in your community. If there are none, ask for them to be created.
    • If you're in a union, talk with your other union members and your union leadership about making clean air part of your collective bargaining agreement.
    • Reach out to local businesses, particularly those where people spend extended amounts of time, and ask how they're keeping the air at their business clean. If they're not currently using air filtration or providing masks to customers, ask them to start.
    • Take steps to ensure the indoor air is clean in your community. There are many ways to do this, but for example, you can build or buy air filters for local community spaces and individuals in your community who may not be able to do so themselves, or bulk buy masks and give them out at events or make them available in community spaces.

Start a mask bloc!

Air filters: how to build your own, and what to look for when buying one

Why does air quality matter?

  • A Note on Wildfire Smoke From an Aerosol Scientist by Susan Kaye Quinn - "Smoke is basically a petrochemical aerosol soup of submicron particles. The only thing worse than smoke (from any kind of combustion, but especially wildfires because who knows what is burning) is actual chemical plant fires (or you know, derailed trains carrying polyvinyl chloride set on fire). Those will kill you dead right away."

What can I do to about climate change to prevent future wildfires?

We can't change the climate on our own! But there are many big and small things we can do as individuals and collectively to improve things for ourselves and future generations.

  • [International]
    • Support indigenous cultural burning practices (which help prevent forest fires!) in your country!
      • Learn more about cultural burns at the links below, as well as ways you can advocate for a return of cultural burning practices where you live.
        • How the Indigenous practice of ‘good fire’ can help our forests thrive by Robyn Schelenz
        • Cultural Fire Education (California Indian Basketweaver's Association [CIBA]) - CIBA's page about cultural fire includes guides on holding cultural burning events for indigenous communities.
        • jareddahlaldern.net/ - The website of Dr. Jared Dahl Aldern, "an environmental historian and fire practitioner." Includes links to many articles about cultural fire and how it can be practiced today.
        • Cultural Fire Management Council - "The mission of the Cultural Fire Management Council (CFMC) is to facilitate the practice of cultural burning on the Yurok Reservation and Ancestral lands, which will lead to a healthier ecosystem for all plants and animals, long term fire protection for residents, and provide a platform that will in turn support the traditional hunting and gathering activities of Yurok." The CFMC also offers cultural fire trainings, as well as other important ecological research and projects that help sustain the land.
      • The US has the Indigenous Peoples Burning Network (IPBN) which is a partnership between The Nature Conservancy and various indigenous peoples across the country that encourages and supports a return to indigenous cultural burning practices.
  • [United States - nationwide]
    • Homeowners can take advantage of federal rebate programs that will cover the cost of electrifying your home and upgrading to more energy-efficient appliances. This includes improving the ventilation system in your home, upgrading your air conditioner, and air sealing your home.
  • [Phoenix, Arizona] Apply for a grant from the city to plant shade trees in your neighborhood.
  • [Missouri] Volunteer with Forest ReLeaf and help plant trees across Missouri. Current volunteer opportunities include:
    • Helping out at the tree nursery
    • Office assistance
  • [Flagstaff, Arizona]
    • Check out events facilitated by the Flagstaff Climate Resilience Project. Events cover topics like emergency preparedness, fire adaptation, and plant identification.
    • Participate in local Climate Advisory Groups. Advisory groups work alongside Flagstaff city Sustainability staff to develop recommendations for the city's Carbon Neutrality Plan.
    • Learn more about the city's Food Systems Program, which includes information about local community gardens and how to apply for a plot, rebates for purchasing chicken coops and composters, and neighborhood sustainability grants.