Irene sent me this letter about driving to the Blue Ridge Parkway and observing North Carolina's air pollution. Thanks for writing, Irene. I'm always happy to hear from you. Donna
I enjoyed your video post about the documentary, "The Next
Frontier - Engineering the Golden Age of Green." Did some searching on
the web for more info, but couldn't find anything. Would love to learn
more.
This week I took my 95 year old father on a trip to the Blue Ridge
Parkway and the top of Mt. Mitchell, NC, the highest point east of the
Mississippi. We were looking for a place where we could get a breath
of fresh air, enjoy a deep blue sky and see the Milky Way at night,
none of which can be done where we live, in the Piedmont of North
Carolina. Attached is a picture taken near the top of Mt. Mitchell.
It shows the smog that envelops our state and much of the East Coast.
Granted the Smoky Mountains are named for the frequent fog in the
valleys, but twenty years ago it looked like fog, gray and misty. Now
the haze looks like what it is, smog ~ you can see the unnatural color
quite well in the photo. According to someone we met who lives near
the mountain, it clears up about ten days a year.
Also attached is today's EPA air quality forecast for the
Greensboro area, near my home. We're on our 5th consecutive day of
"Code Orange."
Regarding your question about a favorite means of sustainable
transportation: sure would have loved to have taken an electric train
up to the mountains, but we don't have one. Why?
Hope you have a safe trip to see your parents in San Francisco.
Many thanks for your constant promotion of what We the People need most ~ clean air and a healthy environment!
Best regards,
Irene Kittrell
Graham, NC
