Last Monday morning at 1:30 a.m., I hung my head out the window of a taxicab like a dog. No, it wasn't like that — I was 100 percent sober. The only thing I was sick of was the stale air I'd sucked in for hours on the airplane.
Or, so I thought. As the taxi cruised down International Airport Road and C Street, I realized I could smell distinct trees and plant life. The air felt cool and good. There wasn't exhaust in my face (at least at that time of day), rotting garbage, or the thick mystery smells delivered by humidity.
I'd just returned from a whirlwind trip to New York City, a place where I once lived and still love. I had a fantastic time in New York but was surprised at how grateful I was to breathe clean air back home.
Not a hater
This might be a different perspective than that of many Alaskans, who choose to live in Alaska largely because it's far from urban jungles, but I really do love New York. I can still understand how I lived there when I did. Even for someone who needs to be outside, the city offers a surprising and unique set of opportunities. In fact, when I commuted by subway from Brooklyn into Manhattan, I was better prepared to weather the outdoor elements than I am now that I drive a car. I had everything in my bag from an extra set of shoes, to a scarf, a jacket and of course my umbrella. For me, walking was a requirement in the city, and I never knew how the weather might change from morning 'til night.
I still appreciate the many New York parks, from the relatively new Chelsea High Line, to Prospect Park, to Roosevelt Island — and yes, of course, Central Park. The Metropolitan Museum of Art offers visits to the open-air Cloisters, a beautiful set of open arcades featuring medieval architecture, sculpture and gardens — all in Manhattan, but so far north on the island it doesn't feel like it. Trapeze School? Sure, that's a thing in New York. Kayaking or canoeing? Go for it. And of course biking and running opportunities are everywhere.
For me, living in New York was like being in a giant playground. However, visiting after a decade away, I noticed something that had never bothered me before.
Bad air
On the one hand, it's obvious that Alaska has much better air than New York City. It's Alaska. Isn't there better air here than pretty much anywhere else (aside from an occasional cold, winter inversion)?
On the other hand, New York's air quality was particularly bad this trip. When we landed after our red-eye, we were greeted by a fiery red sun casting eerie, long shadows. Everything had an orange pallor to it; we couldn't actually see the city skyline from the airport due to the haze. My friend informed me, glancing down at her phone, an air pollution advisory was in effect.
"Ozone levels are going to be over 100," she said.
I nodded knowingly, but I really didn't know what that meant.
Reading the air
I later found out that for populations above 200,000 in the U.S., daily air quality assessments are provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) at https://www.airnow.gov/. The Air Quality Index (AQI) compiles data from different indicators, such as ozone or particulates, and then provides a rating for the day. Air quality can be ranked from good (0-50) to hazardous (301-500). My friend was looking at this information on her weather app.
The day I was in New York, the AQI was originally listed as 74 — in the moderate range, which seems understandable for a city of 8.4 million that's nearly 30 times bigger than Anchorage. However, the health alert predicted ozone levels of 100 or more — considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups."
When not in the upper atmosphere protecting us from too much sun, ozone is caused by traffic pollution and vapors from certain cleaning products. Activated by sunlight, it's a key ingredient in smog and particularly harmful for people with respiratory issues. That's why advisories often advise "sensitive populations" to stay indoors.
I kept my inhaler close by, and I used it a few times. Other than that, I didn't notice the air quality much. That is, until I got back to Alaska.
As I'm writing this, the AQI in my neighborhood in Anchorage is 15. That's a solid green "good." It smells great out here, even though there's too much pollen in the air for most of us, and it really, really needs to rain.
I may love New York City, but I'm better as a visitor these days. I swoop in long enough to appreciate it in all of its mayhem; then I feel even more grateful when I get back home to Alaska to breathe clean air.
Alli Harvey lives, works and plays in Anchorage.