A view from 2005's "Greenest" City

Most Story County residents take the daily life free of traffic congestion and infrastructural gridlock for granted.   It's a part of the so-called quiet life, as many of our friends and collegues on the coasts and in larger cities like to call it that we may take for granted.

But according to the a recent national study by the American Lung Association, it's helped pay off in spades for our air quality.

The ALA's Annual ranking of America's "Greenest" Cities rankes the nations metropolitan areas  based upon the levels of ozone and particulate pollution in the air.

The Ames / Boone area is on the list for the 2005 ranking in company with such lauded cities such as Bellingham, Washington and Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Here are some definitions of the items taken in to consideration for the rankings from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency:

Ozone: Ground-level ozone is the product of chemical reactions involving hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides in the presence of sunlight. Ozone is a potent irritant that may cause lung damage and a variety of respiratory problems.