If you are unfortunate enough to live immediately east of Northern California, then you are inundated with the worst air pollution in the world. You think I am exaggerating? Think Again. Here is the AQI (Air Quality Index) for Reno/Lake Tahoe, NV today:
Here is the AQI for the world’s most polluted cities:
First, notice none of those cities are American cities. That is a post for another day, however, as it turns out, the top 500 most polluted cities contain zero American cities, so the next time your idiot, tree hugging neighbor tells you we are the worlds biggest polluters, you can tell them to … for now we will keep it family friendly.
The people in Reno thought that maybe they have a real use for that mask they are being forced to wear due to COVID-19. So I did a little research for them. I went to this government website:
How to Reduce Your Exposure to Smoke - AirNow.gov
It turns out that smoke particles can get very small. As small as 2.5 microns. Or 2.5 millionths of a meter. Wow, that is small! Then I found this tidbit on this same government site:
Should I wear a dust mask if I have to go outside?
Do not rely on dust masks for protection. Paper "comfort" or "dust" masks are designed to trap large particles, such as sawdust. These masks will not protect your lungs from small particles such as PM2.5. Scarves or bandanas won’t help either.
Disposable respirators known as N-95 or P-100 respirators will help if you have to be outdoors for a period of time. It’s important that you wear the respirator correctly, however. For information on how to use one, see:
https://www.placerair.org/DocumentCenter/View/1474/Information-on-Face-Masks-Filters-PDF(PDF, 1 p., 184 KB, about PDF)
Even a bigger WOW! A mask will not provide any protection if you venture outside today in Reno, NV, because the smoke particles are too small for the mask to filter. Imagine that? I feel for those poor people in Reno. It was 85 degrees, not a cloud in the sky and a SW wind at 5 mph. Very low humidity. Pretty much a perfect day weather wise. But they are not allowed out, even with a mask because it is too dangerous. Hmmm?
That got me thinking. We have another branch of government, the CDC, telling you that if you go out, you MUST wear a mask to protect you and everybody around you from COVID-19. The only problem with that; COVID-19 particles (1 nanometer - 1 billionth of a meter) are 1/250th the size of the smallest smoke particles. You cannot have it both ways. If a mask does not protect you from smoke, then it cannot possibly provide any protection from COVID-19.
So I ask you; are we being sold a bill of goods about masks?
Of course we are!
Masks are nothing but a symbol of obedience to our masters. They provide no protection. The CDC has been completely politicized, while this tidbit about wearing masks to filter smoke (written and studied long before COVID) has not.