We're #1! (Unfortunately)

Years ago we lived near Baton Rouge, Louisiana; I taught on the LSU campus while my husband was in graduate school. The area along the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to New Orleans was known as "Cancer Alley," called that because of all the industrial plants along the river and anecdotal evidence of high rates of cancer (unsubstantiated scientifically). Well, now it seems we're in another toxic place: Forbes just named Atlanta the most toxic city in the United States. Forbes based its calculations on 

the number of facilities that reported releasing toxins into the environment, the total pounds of certain toxic chemicals released into the air, water and earth, the days per year that air pollution was above healthy levels, and the total number of Superfund sites.

Actually, by "Atlanta," Forbes means "metro-Atlanta," including Marietta and Sandy Springs. Interestingly enough, cities such as New York don't make the top-ten of Environmentally Toxic Cities in the U.S. A. because of fine subway systems that encourage people to leave their cars at home. Here in Atlanta, we have MARTA, a system in financial difficulties and, according to Wikipedia, "by far the largest United States transit agency not to receive state operational funding." (Yay, Georgia! so progressive!)  The other states in the top ten ETCUSA:

2. Detroit
3. Houston
4. Chicago
5. Philadelphia
6. Cleveland
7. Los Angeles
8. Jacksonville, Florida
9. Baltimore
10. Portland

Oh, and in my home state of Texas-- "Houston, we have a problem," an air problem, that is, according to Jim Lester, vice president of the Houston Advanced Research Center.

Facilities in Houston released 88.7 million pounds of toxic chemicals in the environment in 2007, and the former site of a methanol fire and chemical explosion number among the city's 50 Superfund locations. Factories that serve the local petrochemical industry emit benzene and 1-3 butabeine, toxins proven to be particularly harmful, that the area's intense sunlight and lack of wind keep trapped in the local area's atmosphere.

Fortunately, I wasn't planning to return to the Houston area to live, even though five generations of my family preceded me in making the Houston-Baytown-Beaumont area their home. But where to go if Atlanta gets too toxic for my tastes? Well, according to Forbes, here are the top ten LEAST toxic cities (among "the  country's 40 largest metropolitan statistical areas") in which to live:

1. Las Vegas, NV
2. Sacramento, CA
3. Riverside, CA
4. Austin, TX
5. Seattle, WA
6. San Diego, CA
7. Virginia Beach, VA
8. San Jose, CA
9. New York
10. Phoenix, AZ

Oh, well....none of these cities is on my list of dream places to which to retire. So I guess I can still keep dreaming......

Voter Turnout in Atlanta Not as Much as Expected

Though the percentage of voter turnout in Georgia was higher since the last election in 2004, according to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the turnout in Atlanta was a little disappointing:

Mark Henderson, spokesman for Fulton County’s election office, expressed surprise at Fulton’s total turnout early Wednesday, which appeared to be about 60 percent. “We had 77 percent of registered voters vote four years ago,” he said. (from "More Georgians Voted but not as Many as Projected," by Bill Torpy and Mary Lou Pickel, Wednesday, November 5, 2008)

Some have speculated that people didn't turn out to vote on Election Day because they feared the long lines that transpired in early voting. However, the lines on Election Day were very short since about 53% of the voters in Georgia voted early. Hmmmmm..... maybe early voting has some unintended consequences. However, I still think that changes are needed in the way we vote in national elections, particularly. If the long lines of early voting had occurred on Election Day, we would have massive problems.

A Different Drought in Metro Atlanta

Hurricane Ike continues to affect the Gulf Coast and surrounding states. While people are trying to put their lives back together in Galveston, others as far away as Atlanta are feeling the aftershocks of the hurricane. We didn't get a drop of water out of the stormy weather, but the shutting down of refineries on the Gulf with the onslaught of first Hurricane Gustav and then Hurricane Ike has led to gas shortages here. Suddenly, Atlantans are discovering how much they depend upon Gulf Coast refineries and pipelines, from where most of their gasoline originates.

People here have been lining up at gas stations all week. They sit in line for 45 minutes or more and even get in fights. Our own household has been less impacted than many others because Tom rides MARTA to work in Atlanta, and I drive our Toyota Prius to work about 48-50 miles total every week; that comes to just a little over a gallon of gas for a Prius. I don't shop much at all, and the grocery stores which we frequent are all within two miles of the house. A good deal of our entertainment here recently has all been within walking distance, too.

Today, however, Mary-Margaret and Tom went to REI for hiking boots and to a Goodwill store where M-M likes to shop for clothes. On their way to and from the REI on I-85, they noted many gas stations without gasoline, but one on Clairmont was open, so Tom decided to stop. News reports have claimed that the shortage could last at least another week. The gas gauge on the Prius recorded less than half a tank of gas remaining. The line wasn't long, and the wait only ten minutes or so. But the owners of the gas station were limiting the amount of purchase to only $10 a car; that came to just a little over two gallons of gas, enough to bring the gas gauge in the Prius almost up to full.

But my rain barrel is bone dry.