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You must be imagining things because the West has the worst pollution in the country. Not good for health.
Purely psychological constructs. Although LA's softer sunlight haze comes from pollution as well so you're on to something there.
If La Jolla And similar areas would be poluted, you would be right. It was not the case, at least during my visits.
As far as imagining things, I do not agree.
Don't even get me started on mosquitos! As far as sunlight, what puzzles me is the difference between the sun in Miami for example (even in the winter time when it's dry) and the sun in SoCal. Sunlight in different places make me feel different. Have you ever noticed this nuance?
Miami's sunlight would be stronger, with longer days during winter.
Quote:
Originally Posted by btownboss4
Due to less humidity the air is crisper and clearer in the West, just look at mountain views from Pikes Peak vs Mount Washington. However it would not have any affect on your health
On the other hand, the West has more mountains/higher elevations to cause inversions that can trap smog/particles/etc in many areas. Combine that with less frequent heavy rainfall as a whole, and the West often ends up having worse air quality than the East.
Humid subtropical/tropical climate provide even more pronounced benefits to the health. The people of Okinawa in Japan, some of the longest lived on the planet, can attest to this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa_Island
Happy, stats aside I think you're talking about the "vibe" you feel in California. I feel the same thing whenever I visit and it does energize me. It may be psychological as one poster stated, but feeling positive and upbeat is an important part of being healthy too!
That is true about the vibe and the psychological aspect. However, I was referring mainly to how the body perceives the environment, aside from the positive experiences. Some things happened to me while in California, that are far from being positive and still, my body was functioning at its best. Yes, that included my brain, you can feel if your mind is clear and focused even during a negative event.
I would agree somewhat. I moved to New Mexico partly because of the quality of the clear sky at over 5,000 ft. elevation and very low humidity. The quality of sunlight is different under those conditions compared to high humidity and hazy skies in the Midwest. As a photographer, it is very noticeable to me. You can also be burned to a crisp if you are not careful...not from high temperatures but the sunlight. People born and raised in New Mexico or even the West Coast might not see the difference.
Good to keep in mind not to go to extremes, in general. Las Vegas for exemple is too dry for me and while it is better than humid places, it is far from ideal. About the sunlight, another interesting difference is between north and south.
The sun is more "friendly" in Seattle when compaired to San Diego, at least in the summer.
If La Jolla And similar areas would be poluted, you would be right. It was not the case, at least during my visits.
As far as imagining things, I do not agree.
Well see now you are narrowing the scope of discussion to "La Jolla and similar areas". The truth of the matter is that the worst air quality cities in the country are almost all in California. Some areas are better than others but I would say no, living in the West does not categorically have a positive influence on health due to the climate or air quality; in fact, the reverse is true in many areas. Oh, and for the past few days the forecast in Seattle on my weather app has been "smoke". No joke. It's due to smoke from wildfires in Canada blanketing the state. Wildfires are almost exclusively a western phenomenon. I've been having respiratory issues and nosebleeds because of it. Lord knows what kind of havoc it's wreaking on my lungs.
SoCal here. I have had one cold since 2005. True.
Sunlight nearly every day keeps me happy. Happy people are said to be more disease-resistant.
I do not remember having a single mosquito bite in at least 20 years. That avoids diseases, too.
Ok, mosquitos are one thing. But how much of the rest of that is attributable directly to the climate? I lived in KC for four years and got sick exactly 1 time. Mild cold. But I am also very active and follow a strict vegan diet. I might be open to the idea that mild dry weather affects health indirectly because it makes it easier for people to be active year round and encourages an overall healthier lifestyle. But it's not the climate by itself.
Due to less humidity the air is crisper and clearer in the West, just look at mountain views from Pikes Peak vs Mount Washington. However it would not have any affect on your health
Great example, I actually looked and compaired. Strictly talking humidity, the air is undeniably clearer when dry (not taking polution into account). What I don't understand is the difference between a dry (winter) day in Miami and a dry day in San Diego. It feels different even when the weather numbers look identical.
As far as health, I belive everything in environment affects us and our body, but it is true many things are very subtile and hard to perceive.
Miami's sunlight would be stronger, with longer days during winter.
The latitude makes a huge difference, but going N for example in the summer, would feel totally different for me in Boston compaired to Portland.
On the other hand, the West has more mountains/higher elevations to cause inversions that can trap smog/particles/etc in many areas. Combine that with less frequent heavy rainfall as a whole, and the West often ends up having worse air quality than the East.
It is too dry in most of the West before even talking polution. It would be hard for me to live in Las Vegas but a little better then Memphis, so I guess there are many different grades of comfort/ uncomfort.
In Europe there is not this definite line between humid and dry, many places are "in the middle" somewhere.
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