The 2020 California wildfire season coincided with the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic affecting many counties in California, with impacts on air quality. We quantitatively analyzed the short-term effect of air pollution on COVID-19 transmission using county-level data collected during the 2020 wildfire season. Using time-series methodology, we assessed the relationship between short-term exposure to particulate matter (PM_2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), and Air Quality Index (AQI) on confirmed cases of COVID-19 across 20 counties impacted by wildfires. Our findings indicate that PM_2.5, CO, and AQI are positively associated with confirmed COVID-19 cases. This suggests that increased air pollution could worsen the situation of a health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Health policymakers should make tailored policies to cope with situations that may increase the level of air pollution, especially during a wildfire season.

Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa and a significant player in the geopolitics of the continent. The country's ability to command so much relevance is based partly on its status as an oil exporter. It is, therefore, imperative that the country's government protects its golden goose, oil. In this paper, we argue that the recent act of the Nigerian government to resist the promotion of electric vehicles (EV) in the country as a way to protect its economic goose is ill advised. We contend that global transportation and energy phenomena suggest that for Nigeria to remain relevant in the future of the world economy, it is pertinent that it pursues a shift from its current economic model. To buttress our claim, we show how embracing sustainable transportation systems like adopting EV promoting policies, can give Nigeria a rare opportunity to be a big player in the future world economy.