Great news! (according to the radio here...I don't know whether to laugh or cry)

[The Straight Story]

So I was driving to work Monday and a heard this little blurb on the radio:

Bakersfield still has terrible pollution and asthma rates are up, etc. Not healthy here at all to breath the air.

From the lung association:

Metropolitan Areas Most Polluted by Short-term Particle Pollution (24-Hour PM2.5)
Rank Metropolitan Area
1 LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH-RIVERSIDE, CA
2 FRESNO-MADERA, CA
3 BAKERSFIELD, CA

Hell most days I can't see the mountains, and we have em on three sides of us.

But wait! There was really good news they had.

Less people here are smoking than a year ago.

Thank god we don't allow smoking in bars here. :rofl:

No...we are all much safer here:


The San Joaquin Valley’s unique topography and meteorology ( mountains on three sides and weather conditions that hamper air circulation) along with rapid growth in population and motor vehicle travel have contributed to air pollution problems in the valley.

The air is often trapped within the valley by a layer that contains emissions from vehicles as well as pollution from oil extraction and refining, farming operations, road building and other construction activities and smoke from fireplaces.

When air quality reaches 151 on the Air Quality Index (a range that’s unhealthy for everyone) the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District declares Spare the Air days between June and September....

The San Joaquin Valley’s air quality does not meet current standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state of California in two areas of pollution: ozone and particulate matter.

It causes respiratory problems, wheezing, chest pain, eye irritation and nausea, to name some main health concerns.

http://www.newtobakersfield.com/home/ViewPost/26213