115. Clean Air

           

Another thing about being an American and living in this country that I am thankful for is our clean air. I know that there are times when that is not true. I live in the Inland Northwest where winter inversions that last too long can stagnate the air in the intermountain valleys from car exhaust and all the various forms of burning that people use for heat. Another aspect of living out west that has always affected air quality is wildfires that occur naturally from our dry climate and the intense summer heat.

            But in spite of those times when things get out of control, Americans generally work to keep our air clean. Yes, there are times we can do better but we try to keep the air as free of pollutants as we can. I remember how filthy the air was in Los Angeles in the 1970’s like a thick burning yellow fog but now you can go there and your eyes don’t sting from the smoggy air. In fact, I was just in LA a couple of weeks ago and there was no haze in the air at all. Cities and states across our country have worked hard to keep the air clean often surpassing the Clean Air Act passed in the 1970’s. While I’m thankful for that, I also know we need to employ our American drive and ingenuity to better our carbon imprint because climate change is real and the global temperature rise is because we haven’t been doing a good enough job of keeping the air clean. Again, we need to set the example just as we have in the past instead of dragging our feet and pretending that climate change is just a fairy story.