We are worse than China. And we are hypocrites. Does the Chinese Embassy in Washington monitor the air and accuse Americans of senseless and dangerous pollution? No, it does not. But the American Embassy in China does, and “rebukes” Beijing for particulate pollution that is “beyond index,” i.e. off the charts.
Why are we neglecting to assess our own level of “fine particulate matter, one of the most dangerous components of air pollution?”
The Beijing state of affairs was likened to being “downwind of a forest fire.” This downwind status is business as usual for San Luis Obispo County. Smoke is literally the order of the day, from restaurants, residences, fire pits, prescribed burns. We like smoke, and we want more. And this being America, where we are accustomed to getting what we want, that’s what we get.
That, and cancer.
This article appears in Nov 17-24, 2011.