Report on Air Quality Crisis in Chicago and Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

1.0 Executive Summary

An extended air quality alert in the Chicago metropolitan area, caused by Canadian wildfire smoke and ground-level ozone, highlights significant challenges to achieving key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This report details the public health impact, environmental causes, and meteorological factors, framing the event within the context of SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

2.0 Public Health Impact and Alignment with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has declared an Air Pollution Action Day, underscoring the immediate threat to public health. The persistent poor air quality directly contravenes the objectives of SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

• Affected Areas: An air quality alert remains in effect for McHenry, Lake, Kane, DuPage, Kendall, Grundy, Cook, and Will counties.
• Health Advisory: In line with SDG 3 targets, officials have issued specific guidance to protect vulnerable populations. Active children and adults, particularly those with pre-existing pulmonary or respiratory conditions like asthma, are advised to limit prolonged outdoor activity.
• Air Quality Index (AQI): Air quality levels are projected to remain in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category, posing a direct risk to community health.

3.0 Environmental Causes and Relevance to SDG 11 & SDG 13

The crisis is attributed to a combination of factors that reflect urgent environmental challenges central to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

1. Transboundary Wildfire Smoke: Smoke originating from Canadian wildfires is a primary pollutant. This phenomenon underscores the interconnectedness of global ecosystems and the far-reaching impacts of climate-related disasters, a core concern of SDG 13.
2. Ground-Level Ozone: Elevated ozone levels exacerbate the issue. The formation of this pollutant is a direct consequence of urban and industrial activities, presenting a major obstacle for SDG 11, which seeks to make cities sustainable and reduce their adverse per capita environmental impact.
   • Sources of ozone precursors include emissions from vehicles, power plants, and other industrial facilities.
   • Sunlight acts as a catalyst for the chemical reaction, degrading urban air quality.

4.0 Meteorological Conditions and Future Outlook

A persistent temperature inversion, where a layer of warm air traps cooler, polluted air near the surface, is prolonging the event. The potential for relief is linked to meteorological changes that could disrupt this atmospheric stability.

• Potential for Mitigation: Forecast models indicate a “marginal risk” of strong-to-severe thunderstorms. Such an event could break the inversion layer, allowing trapped pollutants to disperse and improving air quality.
• Persistent Risk: Should the inversion remain, the negative impacts on public health (SDG 3) and urban environmental quality (SDG 11) are expected to continue until a significant weather pattern shift occurs.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • The article directly connects poor air quality to human health. It states that “active children and adults, especially people with pulmonary or respiratory disease such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor activity.” This highlights the health risks associated with air pollution, which is a core concern of SDG 3.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • The focus of the article is on the Chicago area, a major urban center. The problem of air pollution is described as a city-level issue, caused by both external factors (wildfire smoke) and internal sources (“pollutants emitted by vehicles, power plants and other sources”). This directly relates to the goal of making cities environmentally sustainable, particularly concerning air quality.

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • The article identifies “Canadian wildfire smoke” as a primary cause of the poor air quality. Large-scale wildfires are recognized as a climate-related hazard, often exacerbated by climate change. The article also discusses weather phenomena like “temperature inversion” and “strong-to-severe thunderstorms,” linking the environmental problem to climate and weather patterns.

4. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • The source of the pollution, Canadian wildfires, represents a significant impact on terrestrial ecosystems. Wildfires lead to the degradation of forests, which is a key concern of SDG 15, which aims to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable management of forests and halt land degradation.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.

   • The article’s entire premise is the health threat from air pollution. The declaration of an “Air Pollution Action Day” and warnings for people with “pulmonary or respiratory disease” directly address the need to mitigate illnesses caused by polluted air.

2. Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.

   • The article focuses on the “week-long trend of poor air quality” in the Chicago area. It mentions that ground-level ozone, a key component of the pollution, is formed from pollutants from “vehicles, power plants and other sources,” which are characteristic of the environmental impact of cities.

3. Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries.

   • The wildfire smoke is treated as a natural hazard affecting the region. The response, including the issuance of an “air quality alert” by the National Weather Service and public health advisories, represents an attempt to build adaptive capacity and resilience to this hazard.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator 11.6.2: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10) in cities.

   • While not providing specific numerical values, the article uses qualitative measures that serve as proxies for this indicator. The air quality sliding into the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category, as reported by AirNow, is a direct reference to a system (the Air Quality Index) that measures pollutants like particulate matter and ozone. The issuance of an “Air Quality Alert” itself indicates that pollution levels have exceeded a safe threshold.

2. Indicator 3.9.1: Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution.

   • The article implies this indicator by highlighting the risk of illness. The specific warning for “people with pulmonary or respiratory disease such as asthma” points to the morbidity (illness) associated with air pollution, which is a component of this indicator.

3. Indicator 13.1.2: Number of countries and local governments that have adopted and implemented local disaster risk reduction strategies.

   • The article provides direct evidence of such strategies. The “air quality alert” issued by the National Weather Service and the declaration of an “Air Pollution Action Day” by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency are concrete examples of local disaster risk reduction strategies being implemented in response to an environmental hazard.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nbcchicago.com