When it's Cold Enough, You Can Taste the Air

So, with a raging case of typing tendonitis, and 2 major papers due soon, this must be brief. For my Dispute Resolution class, we have to write a 10 page paper on 3 major environmental or planning controversies. Since my thesis paper in Planning class is on the Paine Field commercial service controversy, I'm of course including that one.

An easy transition into the next subject, and perhaps a preview of what's to come in Mukilteo, I'm including the Sea-Tac 3rd runway dispute. Sadly, what I've noticed is that all of the good, peer reviewed articles on airport noise and air pollution are European. I'm really becoming interested in the effects of air pollution and asthma, as allergies, specifically seasonal ones are on the rise.

In one way, the crazy conservatives are correct that increased carbon dioxide in the air increases plant biomass production, but that is not necessarily a good thing when you suffer from asthma or allergies. The El Nino effect has amplified allergy reactions in the Northwest this year, and could be a future trend. Even with 5 different asthma and allergy medications, I'm still goopy enough from tree allergies for a sinus infection to set in.

With all of my pre-med classes that don't count for anything but extra credits just hanging out, I thought I'd use my knowledge to at least focus on the health effects of pollution. I'm really thinking about doing my Senior project on growth rates, allergies, asthma and some other health effects from polluted air - specifically wood smoke pollution. Many of you probably didn't know this, but Darrington had the dirtiest air in Washington 4 years ago, according to EPA and WADOE studies.

Hopefully, what I find out will help the town council convince more people to buy pellet stoves. I think the key will be comparing health care costs in the town to the cost of buying fuel for propane or pellet stoves. Some sunny mornings you can taste the smoke in the foggy air. As soon as I drive 1 mile out of town, the air is cleaner even on the foggiest mornings. The conversion program he's been working with only gives vouchers to replace wood stoves with pellet stoves or propane, but I think I will search for another alternative as well. The great thing about the town council is that Rankin has been working with the 4H salmon program at the school the last two years and is really open to cleaning up the environment. Wish me luck.