It reminds me to be happy for my memories of hiking in the foothills, swimming in the ponds around the gravel pits in the area, walking home in the dark from the movies without adult supervision. And taking off for Alaska when I was 19 with one suitcase and twenty dollars in my pocket (which was stolen from me). Somehow I got by. Security? Actually I have found most people are pretty helpful everywhere and I expect that is true around the world. That has been my experience anyway.

My mom drove herself,when she was 19, about 1930, from Oklahoma to Wyoming. When I asked her if she was scared during this trip, she said “people were nicer then.” I don’t know that they were – perhaps we just didn’t have all the “scare” news that is now available 24/7. And, when you are 19, you just aren’t as scared of everything. Smog is another thing entirely.

How lucky we were to have them as residents of Boise they crowed. They said the same thing about Larry Johnston of Albertson fame and we all know where that got us. The Boise Chamber attracts the worst of newcomers, the people who want to exploit everything we have, sell it and then leave. But that is the history of this valley and state since the white man moved in.

I hope the people who buy into the idea of “security” love the suffocating smog blankie we get every winter and fire season.

Helen Keller said..” Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all.”

EDITOR NOTE–The point of the post is the entire “study” is a publicity stunt for Farmers Insurance. They pay to manufacture the study.

For instance BYU is dead last in a sexual health survey by the same company because Trojan doesn’t sell many condoms there. http://www.bestplaces.net/docs/studies/SexualHealth_list.aspx
The “study” company will be glad to SELL you a survey as well. Wanna see the hype? http://www.bestplaces.net/

If Boise is #1 in anything it is gullibility of the mainstream media.

So, besides choking and squinting, what are we doing to modify our behavior and mitigate our contribution to the pollutants trapped by naturally occurring inversions? I have cut down drastically on my car trips, but could do more. We have no wood stove, and don’t burn leaves or yard waste (which isn’t very smart in the first place).

For our family, the hardest thing to eliminate is my husband’s commute. There are no alternatives to him driving to work alone. He often bikes if at all possible, which he prefers, but at his current location, this is impossible. But, there are many people who could use alternative transit and, for whatever reasons, choose not to do so. We’ve got to get a handle on this though, or I fear “squank” will be the rule, rather than the exception.

One obvious improvement would be to extend the hours of bus service so that folks don’t get stranded at work after 5pm. Too bad at this point it seems we’d rather breath “squank” than give up the convenience and comfort of our own vehicles.
Another would be to reduce the use of wood stoves and fireplaces. I know they’re quaint and attractive, but are really appropriate only for a minority of situations, and certainly not in densely populated areas.

My neighbors continue to use their wood stove regardless of any air quality alerts because it makes them “feel cozy”. Another burns everything he can get his hands on because it’s “easier than going to the dump”.

Somebody throw me a Christmas bone and tell us how we can protect what remains of our air quality.