An American flag, the Stars and Stripes, blackened and gritty with traffic dust.

An American flag,  the Stars and Stripes, blackened and gritty with traffic dust, next to a parking lot, Santa Barbara, CA,  June 28, 2012. DT Lange
A sample of an upcoming photo essay on the everyday condition of this powerful symbol of freedom & democracy in 21st century America.

Dry street corner cement sidewalk & gutter showing signs of chemical etching.

Dry street corner cement sidewalk & gutter showing signs of chemical etching, Santa Barbara CA May 8, 2012.  Water from runoff carrying toxic laden traffic dust usually pools at this corner. DT Lange

Our forests, wild and urban, are dying.

See this Dec. 24, 2012 New York Times article by Sandra Blakeslee about New Mexico's Los Alamos Lab's effort to study the problem.
Note: Aerosols and gaseous substances abound in the same air that is changing our climate.
Many of these contaminants are phytotoxic pollutants, such as black carbon soot, sulfur dioxide, and ozone which kill or injure trees.

Photo: A pile of leaf fall in a street gutter in Flagstaff AZ, November 4, 2012. A wide variation of coloration and leaf health can be seen. DT Lange

A photo assortment scenery and community values in Flagstaff, AZ

Air pollution now among world's top ten killers.

A slow motion air pollution holocaust, or the fossil fuel burning climate change on a regional level, or the only possible ending to the poisoning of  an atmosphere?

Acidic mist & rain damages foliage on bamboo hedges in Santa Barbara, Cailfornia in 2012.

Bamboo hedges have leaves with burnt tips in Santa Barbara. California, after some precipitation, May 5 &19, 2012.  The leaf tips, where the damage is most obvious, collects and pools moisture droplets, such as dew, fog, or rain. DT Lange

Santa Barbara dust at night.

PHOTO 1: Night time particle pollution, Santa Barbara, California, May 21, 2012. The camera's flash is the light source while the camera was pointed upwards at the night sky. DT Lange

PHOTO 2: Night time particle pollution, Santa Barbara, California, May 21, 2012.

Botanical mayhem in Santa Barbara, California.

An Ash tree and two Citrus (Tangerine) trees suffering massive deadfall of leaves and fruit. Air polluted by traffic and power blowers in the area is the source of the damage. 209 W. Valerio St. Santa Barbara, CA December 2011

All photos (C) 2012 {D. T. Lange}