This will be the coolest summer in your lifetime.

Read that again.

If current climate trends continue, nearly every summer after this one is expected to be hotter. Extreme heat isn't just uncomfortable. It affects our health, air quality, infrastructure, energy systems, and the communities least able to adapt. We know that temperatures are changing. The question is how do we prepare and support the most vulnerable?

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Summer has just begun here in New York, and we've already received several ozone advisories. What does this mean and should you be concerned? In this episode, I want all of us to be informed on what ozone air pollution is and why it seems to show up every summer.

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SOURCES:

Björnham, O., Grahn, H., von Schoenberg, P., Waleij, A., Liljedahl, B., & Brännström, N. (2017, November 7). The 2016 Al-Mishraq Sulphur Plant Fire: Source and Risk Area Estimation. arXiv.org. https://arxiv.org/abs/1611.03837

Brown, V. J. (2004, December). Battle Scars: Global Conflicts and Environmental Health. National Library of Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1253679/

Gayle, D. (2026, March 10). Bombing of Iran’s oil infrastructure to have major environmental fallout, experts warn. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/10/bombing-of-irans-oil-infrastructure-to-have-major-environmental-fallout-experts-warn

Lange, J. L., Schwartz, D. A., Doebbeling, B. N., Heller, J. M., & Thorne, P. S. (2002, November). Exposures to the Kuwait Oil Fires and Their Association with Asthma and Bronchitis Among Gulf War Veterans. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1241071/

Parmelee, Jennifer (1991, December 20). Environmentalists Survey the Blackened Wasteland That Was Kuwait. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1991/12/20/environmentalists-survey-the-blackened-wasteland-that-was-kuwait/fb14eaa2-af22-4392-9857-76db5b49c846

Reaser, Donald F (2024) Gulf War Oil Burning: Military History and Science. EBSCO Research. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/military-history-and-science/gulf-war-oil-burning

United Nations. (2003, March 21). Air Pollution From Baghdad Fires Poses Risks for Human Health and Environment. UN Meetings Coverage and Press Releases. United Nations. https://press.un.org/en/2003/ik339.doc.htm

US Department of Veterans Affairs, V. H. A. (2013, December 16). Oil Well Fires during Gulf War. https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/sources/oil-well-fires.asp

WHO Warns of Health Risks from “Black Rain” in Iran. Reuters. (2026, March 10). https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/society-equity/who-warns-health-risks-black-rain-iran-2026-03-10/

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Thanks for tuning in, I hope you’ve been finding this information helpful! If so, please share with a friend! Have a question or comment? E-mail us at CarmenTalksAir@gmail.com or follow on social media @CarmenTalksAir