Currently in San Francisco — September 21, 2023: Windy Thursday with ongoing air quality alert

The weather, currently.

Poor air quality persisted on Wednesday, with smoke from wildfires at the California-Oregon border continuing to engulf the city in a nasty, steady smog and the air quality index hovering in the dangerous orange and red zones (AQI between 100 and 200). Forecasts show the air may clear soon, but this depends entirely on the wind.

A Spare the Air alert remains in effect for Thursday, which is slated to be a warm, windy day with highs in the high 60s, and winds reaching 17mph in the afternoon with gusts up to 22mph. Winds may increase a bit overnight (up to 25mph), with temps in the mid-50s. Until the air quality advisories are lifted, try to limit your time outdoors, and minimize your exposure to hazardous particulate in the air with a respirator (N95-style) mask. Let’s hope the strong currents blowing through dispel this lingering haze.

— Britta Shoot

What you need to know, currently.

On Wednesday, President Biden announced the creation of the American Climate Corps — a bucket-list item for youth climate organizers for years.

CNN has more on the backstory, but suffice it to say that a climate corps was originally a Bernie Sanders pledge when he was running for president. It was then part of the Build Back Better plan during the initial Covid response, but got cut — and then it was also part of Joe Manchin’s Inflation Reduction Act — and got cut.

Now it’s a reality, by executive order. So this is a big deal.

Here’s the options for training with the American Climate Corps, according to the brand-new White House signup form:

• Deploy low-cost, reliable, clean energy

• Implement energy-efficient solutions to help families save money on their energy bills

• Rebuild coastal wetlands to protect coastal communities from storm surges and flooding

• Manage forests to prevent catastrophic wildfires

• Protect America’s public lands and waters for future generations

• Enhance agricultural systems to protect natural resources and conserve water during droughts

• Advance environmental justice to ensure all Americans live in healthy, thriving communities

— Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

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One of my favorite organizations, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, serves as a hub of mutual aid efforts focused on climate action in emergencies — like hurricane season. Find mutual aid network near you and join, or donate to support existing networks: