Michigan Republican Representative Lisa McClain was widely mocked on social media after she called out Canada's "negligence" for allowing smoke from their wildfires to enter the United States.
As of Friday, more than 890 wildfires were burning across Canada, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System, with most of them listed as out of control. The fires have already scorched nearly 3 million hectares of land this year, and their effects have extended well beyond Canada's borders.
Thick smoke has drifted into several U.S. states, including Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York. The resulting haze has prompted "hazardous" air quality alerts across much of the region, forcing the cancellation of numerous outdoor events and raising health concerns for millions of residents.
McClain lashed out on social media, writing:
"Michiganders shouldn't have to breathe Canada's negligence. YEAR AFTER YEAR the smoke crosses the border while Canada does nothing. Stop exporting your smoke into our skies. Enough is enough!"
You can see her post below.
McClain's remarks overlook how wildfire smoke actually spreads.
Smoke doesn't remain confined to the area where a fire burns—it is carried through the atmosphere by heat and wind. The intense heat from a wildfire causes smoke and hot air to rise high into the atmosphere, where powerful upper-level winds, including the jet stream, can transport it hundreds or even thousands of miles from its source.
Not to mention that climate change has caused more and more wildfires to erupt all over the globe, not just in Canada.
This is pretty basic stuff here, not rocket science, but her embarrassing words sparked a wave of jokes.
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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has dismissed partisan criticisms, saying in French during a news conference in Ontario that tackling climate change is "everyone's responsibility," including that of the U.S. He added that the federal government remains in "close communication" with provincial authorities and local communities as they respond to the crisis.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also pushed back against criticism of his government's handling of the wildfires, emphasizing that more than 150 firefighting crews have been deployed to battle the blazes.
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