Google warned and instructed New York citizens and those who live along the East Coast to work from home due to Canada’s wildfire smoke filling the air, CNBC reported.
“We are advising Googlers to work from home if possible and limit their exposure to outdoor air,” Google’s warning read. “Terraces across our New York campus will remain closed today.”
In addition to their employees in Toronto and Waterloo, Google issued notices to those in Detroit; Washington, D.C.; Pittsburgh; Reston, Virginia; and Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.
Outside activities were advised to be put on hold due to the wildfire polluting their air. In fact, New York City is now ranked the city with the worst air quality.
Although the city received a warning, residents and environmental experts criticized city leaders for their slow response to the emergency.
CUNY Law School’s Center for Urban Environmental Justice Reform director Rebecca Bratspies told ABC News that she knew the smoke was to happen Monday and Tuesday and expected the city to warn citizens earlier.
“There is supposed to be emergency planning for situations like this,” Braspies said. “I was expecting the city to read the same news forecasts I had that this was happening Monday and Tuesday. They should have had a plan.”
Mayor Eric Adams issued an advisory on Tuesday, Jan. 6, around 11:30 p.m., informing residents that schools would be open but outdoor activities won’t be permissible. Adams said he didn’t notify the city late and that no one could plan for a situation like Canada’s wildfire smoke migrating to the city.
It’s 11:30 p.m., and we have a statement from the mayor recommending “all New Yorkers limit outdoor activity to the greatest extent possible.”
Schools will be open tomorrow, but won’t “offer any outdoor activities” as conditions “are expected to deteriorate further” tomorrow pm pic.twitter.com/T4taarEK1p
— Chris Sommerfeldt (@C_Sommerfeldt) June 7, 2023
“We’ve done tabletops in this administration. You want to be as prepared as possible, but there is no planning for an incident like this,” Adams said.
Bratspies said that his statement wasn’t true, adding that the city had previously received early alerts about air quality.
Holly Porter-Morgan, a professor of environmental science at LaGuardia Community College, shared that she believed the city could have better informed the public by monitoring the Air Quality Index levels.
“Whenever our air quality index goes above 100, there should be some sort of statement going out,” Porter-Morgan said. “There should be some directive for people because people don’t know what to do.”
While New York citizens shouldn’t be outside, they should wear masks when out with the smoke.
