Western Dust & Smog Dust

I heard a story today on NPR about how railroads, livestock and other human causes have increased the amount of dust out west by 500%. This makes perfect sense, and is probably not healthy for the environment, or people breathing this dusty air. When I lived in Los Angeles, however, the dust was not an issue (unless we were out camping and a dust storm kicked up), but the smog dust that would cover my apartment after only a few days of leaving my window open.

I used to live on a relatively busy street (Vermont & Hollywood) in the neighborhod of Los Feliz, and if I left my window open for only a few days, my apartment windows would be COVERED with this dark brown/black smog dust. After a week of leaving my window open there would be a fine film over everything in my apartment.

A perfect world to me would be a bunch of hybrids and electric cars cruising on that busy street, with barely audible engines and clean air rushing through my apartment window...

If that were the case I never would've left Los Angeles for the peaceful, clean air of New England!