This summer, severe weather has really taken center stage.

As we speak, tropical storms are driving catastrophic flooding in the Gulf states. Yet another heat wave is bringing record-breaking temperatures to communities across the country. And we can’t forget the hundreds of active wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and Canada, which have severely impacted air quality.

“Apocalyptic” feels like an understatement.

The Midwest got the worst of the wildfire smoke, with many cities logging AQI values in the mid-to-high hundreds and Chicago and Detroit reporting some of the worst air quality in the world. At the height of the situation, even staying inside wasn’t enough to stop your eyes from burning, your nose from running, or a headache from coming on.

But many people still don’t understand how dangerous these conditions can be.

Wildfire smoke is four times more toxic than other types of air pollution, and its toxicity intensifies the longer the smoke is in the air. That’s why it’s responsible for tens of thousands of deaths a year—and most at risk are the elderly, children, and individuals with lung or heart conditions.

But even with all of this, people in power refuse to accept the reality of the climate crisis.

Just look at The Wall Street Journal.

In a recent opinion piece on the Canadian wildfires, the paper’s editorial board blamed poor land management for the devastation, downplayed the link between climate change and wildfires, and dismissed solar and wind as viable energy sources.

How could our current moment not feel like an uphill battle?

We’re dealing with the pervasiveness of climate skepticism, the looming threat of the strongest El Niño ever recorded, and an administration that won’t do anything about the crisis but instead makes it worse—and blames our neighbors for its impacts.

But the facts haven’t changed. There are more of us than there are of them, and every day, more and more people are waking up to the fact that this is our new (ab)normal.

It’s up to us to help our fellow citizens realize that there is still so much we can do to fight back—and that the future we deserve is still within reach.

Join us!