Missoula Has Some Of The Worst Air In The Entire Country

Well, this is definitely not a list you want to find yourself on.

Every year, the American Lung Association conducts a study to determine the cities with the most air pollution in the US. And unfortunately, Missoula made the cut - on a list of the 25 worst cities for air pollution, we ranked number nine.

A big factor in Missoula's place on the list? Smoke being carried over from wildfires - if you'll look at the list, you'll notice that most of the top 25 are cities from the western parts of the US - the only states on there that I noticed from the eastern side were Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Most of the cities remained the same from last year's study - some of them reporting slight improvements, others getting even worse. And wildfires may have been a major factor, but it wasn't the only one - the article mentions "wood stove use, older diesel vehicles and equipment, and industrial sources" as contributing to significant particle pollution.

So what's the solution for Missoula? How can we get ourselves off of this list? I'm not totally sure, but I know there are organizations in town dedicated to helping improve the environment and create a healthier air quality for everyone. Here's a great list which actually compiles a ton of them into one easy-to-access place.

In the meantime, be conscious of your own air pollution and let's see if we can shift Missoula off of this list in the next few years - it'll be a difficult battle, but it can be done.