Spring is for the birds … and for bees, flowers and trees. And, yes, spring: It’s in the air too!

There is something about spring. Of course there’s the “April-showers-bringing-May-flowers” bit. Then, of course, there’s the other part: renewal. For many, there’s the “spring-cleaning” ritual. Bite my tongue, right? Spring is, well, when you get right down to it, my favorite time of the year.

Cool temperatures, windy days, bloomin’ flora – plants punctuated by a painter’s palette of yellows, reds, purples, oranges; you name it. Colors as vibrant as these are even more so under a canopy of blue; skies, that is. Toss in a pinch of bright sun here, a dash of snow-capped mountain tops as a backdrop there and could there be a more idyllic spring experience? I think not.

Which, if you live where I do (Fresno, California) you tend to cherish the times when these rare scenes present themselves. For you see, such scenes ’round these parts appear to be getting fewer and farther between. Locals know what I’m talking about.

There once were better days, meaning ones like those described above and they were far more plentiful. But, that was back in the day when pollution, haze in the air wasn’t as problematic or as frequent. Promisingly, we can return to days as auspicious as these, though to achieve such a reality would require all those concerned to step up to the plate and in a really big and committed way.

So, put this in your pipe and smoke it (just an expression – I don’t mean this literally): cleaning up the Valley’s notoriously dirty air isn’t rocket science.

Travel patterns; land use; commercial, industrial, residential and developmental activities; and on and on and on, deserve a rethink. A serious rethink, reboot to make this fly.

Annual area spring gathering for discussing air pollution, mitigating solutions

On Saturday, Apr. 8th from 8 a.m. to noon, a group of professionals apparently gathered in Fresno to share their thoughts to meeting attendees (and to presumably each other) on the ins and outs and ups and downs of unhealthful Valley air (and included in that, I presume also, talk highlighting ways to deal effectively with the scourge that Valley air pollution is). Add to that, as it would appear, that this is the second such meeting in as many years. You can read more about it here.

As productive a meeting as it may have been (I wouldn’t know because I wasn’t in attendance), in reference to this, it being common knowledge in these here parts that area residents are regularly exposed to such poor air quality, with this in mind I offer to the conference organizers the following:

Please, in the future, how about waiving the general public admission fee as well as holding said meeting at a time of year when pollution in the air is apparent; in other words, save the session for a time when there is the likelihood polluted air will weigh more heavily on people’s minds and therefore is likely to resonate more with more people and have way more meaning and relevancy in their lives. Just sayin’.

So, until that day comes, I hope you’ll forgive my forgoing attending said meeting, instead preferring to partake in all the good that spring has to offer, namely, soaking up some sun, admiring spring’s gorgeous but ephemeral hues and taking in, for at least a time, anyway, air worth breathing.

Oh, and while I’m at it, I’ll be making sure I’m taking time to smell some roses, too.

A heads-up: On tap for this year’s Air Quality Awareness Week later this month will be a series of posts highlighting the celebration of clean air in the Clean-air Adventure Series. In these vignettes detailed will be accounts of places I’ve been where the air quality was second to none. So, please be on the lookout for those.

Image above: Gregg Erickson

– Alan Kandel

2 thoughts on “Spring is for the birds … and for bees, flowers and trees. And, yes, spring: It’s in the air too!”

  1. Clarification: Air Quality Awareness Week for 2017 officially begins Monday, May 1st. However, for purposes related to Clean-air Adventure Series posting, AQAW 2017 starts Sunday, Apr. 30th.

  2. I know that the air quality is a problem here in Fresno, but I’ve felt at times that there isn’t anything that I can do to help the problem. But if we will all do our part, we can make a difference. Let’s all start with our own homes. Acme Chem-Dry is a local company here in Fresno that can help you improve the air quality in your home.

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