Where's the haze?
The Columbus Dispatch - August 16, 2013 04:55 PM
The Summer of 2013 continues to be nearly smog free and is shaping up to be one of the least smoggy summers in recent years.
By this time last year, there were 17 alert days, all for smog.
Smog builds in the air on hot still days when the sun cooks pollutants emitted from cars, coal burning power plants and factories. It irritate lung tissues, triggering asthma attacks and worsening chronic breathing problems.
State environmental officials say the relatively colder and wetter weather this summer has had a lot to do with the lack of alerts in central Ohio. Wednesday, for example, featured an unseasonably low high temperature of 73 degrees.
The lack of alerts also extends from lower pollution emissions from power plants that are burning more natural gas and less coal, and from the fact that higher fuel prices and cleaner-exhaust systems in newer cars have kept vehicle miles driven and pollutants from increasing. You can read more about the drop in pollution and why it's happening by clicking here.