Chasing Clean Air

Life Nominates

Recently, I was nominated for a travel writing award for outstanding media coverage of British Columbia.

It felt great to be nominated and my fingers are crossed to win.

I wrote 58 positive articles about B.C. which were published on this blog, Chasing Clean Air in the summer of 2008.

If you click on my British Columbia category on the right panel or here, you can start reading stories and seeing photos of my 60 day walking, hiking, canoeing, fly-fishing, and sight-seeing clean air tour, which included three routes on the Rocky Mountaineer train.

I highly recommend British Columbia, for its cities are civilized, the landscape is rich in natural beauty, and the air in most places is clean!

Sedona Air Quality

Air Quality Challenge: When windy, dust can impact asthmatics and those with allergies.

Knowing me, I don't see relocating to the dry desert but never say never. I appreciate desert beauty.

I'm flying to Phoenix and driving to clean air Sedona tomorrow. 

Sedona is about an hour-and-a-half drive from Phoenix--which frequently has poor air quality due to a variety of factors, (today wood-burning), whereas Sedona frequently has clean air unless wind kicks up dust.

Sedona is a trendy-spiritual-area known for red-rocks.

Chasing Clean Air's New Anti-Aging Technique

Ponce de Leon move over, I stumbled upon a new anti-aging technique when by chance I parked in front of REI in Santa Monica, the sporting goods store and discovered a sale. I bought a Mountain Hard Wear hoodie with holes built in for the thumb. No big deal, I could just roll up the sleeves. 

Los Angeles Clean Air For A Day

Lest you remain trapped in labels like Los Angeles always has dirty air, consider yesterday's exception when we experienced clean air!

Kingston, Tennessee & The Coal Spill

What's wrong with lighting a candle instead of...  And reading a book by...

for the toxic consequences of dirty energy like coal are great.

Case in point, a few days ago hundreds of millions of gallons of coal sludge busted through a broken dike at a coal-fired power plant in Kingston, Tennessee, flooding local waters with heavy metals contamination.

In time, maybe for decades, these settled heavy metals will become dust in the wind, polluting the air in Tennessee and areas downwind.

Ho! Ho! Hum.

Ho! Ho! How in the world do so many people believe in Christmas? Yes, I'll participate in festivities and share in others happiness but this holiday baffles me. Wars are fought over religious beliefs that began before we were born. Come on. How did this holiday make it so far? Unconsciousness piled on with presents. I guess I'm the type to hang out with Bill Maher, who did an excellent job dissecting religions in his recent movie, Religilous.

When I was younger, by chance, I dated two clergymen. (One for 4 years.) The minister and cantor--each from huge congregations--had serious doubts. They couldn't discuss their doubts openly but I could. So I wrote a creative non-fiction piece changing names called What They Don't Teach You In Sunday School.

Oh dear, I'm off the holiday point, as time ticks toward Christmas Eve when once again I'll wonder how my gifts will be received in a sea of fruitcakes. No pun intended.

Here's to getting in the holiday spirit as easily as one gets in a dress that's too big, with shoes too tight, and bright colors that just don't go... and into the Christmas night my smile will light up Santa's path... Ho! Ho! H