Chasing Clean Air

Moving - Less is More

Moving isn't hard.

It's deciding what to keep or give to charity that's trying.

A favorite dress. I haven't worn in four years.

The couch with memories.

The jewelry I inherited from grandma, mom, grandma, mom again, but never wear. Sterling silver I never use. And the china. What about the china that's been passed generation to generation for more than 100 years, starting in Romania to New York to San Francisco to Los Angeles? Now cracked and broken platters; my inheritance. And a few lovely pieces. What's a girl to do? Almost every time mom comes down for a visit, she brings me a new broken or chipped platter, bowl or plate, like a parent brings a sick puppy to the vet, in hope the vet will know what to do to fix the problem.

L.A. residents may have 30% higher cancer risk than national average on account of breathing air

On July 11, 2006 I hiked in the Santa Monica Mountains and took this photo. Below the skyline, you see the Westside of Los Angeles, which is shrouded in visible black smog: Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Santa Monica, Westwood, Beverly Hills.

On May 22, 2006, the top of the news in Los Angeles: People living in Los Angeles have fifteen times the national average for cancer risk on account of cars, diesel trucks, and factories putting toxins in the air. Go to

www.scorecard.org to learn about our major polluters and where they are located.

And then a few days later, headlines were:

Study Doubles Estimate of Smog Deaths

--------------------Study Doubles Estimate of Smog Deaths --------------------USC researchers amass measurements of lethal particulate matter from hundreds of locations in the L.A. Basin. State may raise its official figures.By Janet WilsonTimes Staff WriterMarch 25 2006The number of deaths from breathing sooty smog in California may be more than twice as high as previously estimated, based on a recent USC study that examined the risk of such deaths in the Los Angeles Basin. The complete article can be viewed at:http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-smog-25mar25,0,756483.story Visit latimes.com at http://www.latimes.com

Packing to move feels great!!

I love starting over! I packed all day with an organizer named Nellie. She's robust, big eyes, big smile, generous spirit. A good friend hired her to help me pack. And the result: I feel sooooo free today. I love packing. I love throwing things out. I didn't grow up with a lot by American standards, so when I made money, I bought too many clothes and jewelry, and now I must give much to charity. And I am. The couch. Gone. The chair and ottoman. Au Voir. Dresses and shoes I bought between this boyfriend and that, Adios! Who need the past when traveling into the future? Except what about my gorgeous Yamaha piano?

The face of blogging in Singapore

Sze Li is a lovely young ambitious woman from Singapore, who contributes clean air/dirty air stories to my blog comments. She is smart and aspires to be a successful business woman. We met through our blogs, and found we had a lot in common in a spiritual way. She is concerned with clean air, and through our correspondence I've learned Singapore is way ahead of America's pollution control curve.

I placed ad for travel partner

How does a sociable woman start over when she's not sure where she'll end up? I placed an ad for a travel companion on two internet sites that specialize in finding travel partners. I also told friends in communities where I'm well-established (the gym, dancing) so hopefully I'll up my chances of finding someone with whom I feel safe. Here's the ad I wrote:

Cleanest Air in American Cities

The American Lung Association (ALA) wrote the 2005 State of The Air Report on air quality in the best and worst U.S. cities.  (And since I posted this, here's their 2008 report. I disagree with ALA regarding certain cities. You can read why here.)

The top three cities to breathe clean air in 2005--rated for cleanest long-term particle pollution:

#1 Cheyenne, WY

#2 Santa Fe-Expanola, New Mexico

#3 Honolulu, HI

Top three cities for cleanest ozone:

#1 Ames-Boone, IA

#2 Bellingham, WA

#3 Brownsville, TX

There are two cities on this list I'm particularly looking forward to checking out based on quality of life. Guess which ones? 

I'll keep you posted.

I'm still packing, organizing, and will report back tomorrow with the

three worst cities to breathe in the United States.

Which city do you guess is the worst city in which to breathe in the Unites States?  Please. Leave your comments. Also suggestions for favorite cities, rural area, wherever that's clean and pleasant to visit.

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