In early June, cities in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions of the US were blanketed by smoke from wildfires in Canada, some hundreds of which are still burning. Air Quality Index levels reached nearly 500 in New York City at one point, well into the “hazardous” range. In fact, New York City was briefly the world’s most polluted city during that time. New York does not normally fall in the worst 3,000 global cities for air quality. 

Incidents like the wildfire smoke bring attention to the problem of global climate change, but the proposals put forward by the private sector and major industrialized governments don’t solve the issue - and in fact they put the burden on the rest of the world. So what’s happening, and what are some real solutions?

We’re joined by Brandon Wu, Director of Policy and Campaigns at ActionAid USA.

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