News, National Geographic Traveler puts Smokies in 'Places with Troubles' category. (Knoxville: 2009, airport)

[John1960]

The Great Smoky Mountains aren't so great after all, according to National Geographic Traveler magazine.

The online version of the publication's sixth annual rating of 133 worldwide travel destinations characterized the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as "a national treasure surrounded by a bathtub ring of ugly, unplanned development."

National Geographic Traveler puts Smokies in 'Places with Troubles' category » Knoxville News Sentinel

[anothertntony]

I would have to agree about the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg areas basically being an exploitative blight (exploitative because it seems that very little of the money flowing into those areas due to their proximity to the beautiful mountains is in turn spent on preserving the health and beauty of the mountains).

I would say that pollution poses by far the biggest problem to the Smokies though. Pollution is quite bad in the mountains already and is getting worse. The National Park Service has an overview:

Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Air Quality (U.S. National Park Service)

"Views from scenic overlooks at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have been seriously degraded over the last 50 years by human-made pollution. Since 1948, based on regional airport records, average visibility in the southern Appalachians has decreased 40% in winter and 80% in summer."

"The average acidity (pH) of rainfall in the park is 4.5, 5-10 times more acidic than normal rainfall (5.0-5.6). Clouds with acidity as low as 2.0 pH bathe the high elevation forests during part of the growing season."

[dave1961]

Originally Posted by anothertntony

I would have to agree about the Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg areas basically being an exploitative blight (exploitative because it seems that very little of the money flowing into those areas due to their proximity to the beautiful mountains is in turn spent on preserving the health and beauty of the mountains).

I would say that pollution poses by far the biggest problem to the Smokies though. Pollution is quite bad in the mountains already and is getting worse. The National Park Service has an overview:

Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Air Quality (U.S. National Park Service)

"Views from scenic overlooks at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have been seriously degraded over the last 50 years by human-made pollution. Since 1948, based on regional airport records, average visibility in the southern Appalachians has decreased 40% in winter and 80% in summer."

"The average acidity (pH) of rainfall in the park is 4.5, 5-10 times more acidic than normal rainfall (5.0-5.6). Clouds with acidity as low as 2.0 pH bathe the high elevation forests during part of the growing season."

I wonder where those acid filled clouds are coming from. China, perhaps? China is building new coal-fired power plants like crazy, at the rate of 1 every week.

[anothertntony]

Chinese pollution is certainly causing a lot of concern. There are quite a few stories here:

China News: Exporting Pollution | China Digital Times (CDT)

I have also read from several sources that there is increasing concern on the West Coast about pollution coming from China over the Pacific. One of the articles above notes that some people believe that a third of the particulate pollution in California may have originated in China (that is speculation, not a fact, though). However, I think that the vast majority of the pollution in the Smokies was clearly Made In America:

Report: TVA coal plants rank among dirtiest » Knoxville News Sentinel

Unfortunately, we do not hold any moral high ground from which to request pollution reductions from China. For decades the rest of the world has been begging the US to reduce our pollution levels, but we basically ignored those requests. We may soon be the beggars.

[bballjunkie]

Well, kiss my grits......I still love to vacation in the Smokies regardless of National Geographic's opinions.

[Wingz]

Originally Posted by anothertntony

However, I think that the vast majority of the pollution in the Smokies was clearly Made In America:

Report: TVA coal plants rank among dirtiest » Knoxville News Sentinel

I agree, Chinese pollution would be very diluted by the time it reached East Tennessee. Pollution from our part of the country would have more impact.

Here's TVA's Cumberland Fossil Plant sending a little smoke to the Smokies. This is how we are going to recharge all of the "zero emission", pollution free electric cars in the future.

[richelles]

Originally Posted by John1960

The Great Smoky Mountains aren't so great after all, according to National Geographic Traveler magazine. "the Great Smoky Mountains National Park as a national treasure surrounded by a bathtub ring of ugly, unplanned development." National Geographic Traveler puts Smokies in 'Places with Troubles' category » Knoxville News Sentinel

One person called Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge exactly what they are. Neon Valley (Pig eon fudge) and Gatlinburg (dirt piled on dirt) are a bathtub ring around the National Park. There are ways to avoid that ring of scum bypassing Gatlinburg but you still have to go through neon valley and Sevierville which is the original 'malfunction junction' to get to the Park. On the other side Cherokee is well on its way to being almost as ugly, Tennessee's senior senator built a 4 lane highway to nowhere in particular so his land was inside the development boundary from Maryville (call it mare'vlle). Around the rest of the Park are a number of one horse towns which cater to tourons and are planning to make things much worse than Nat Geo found. It has been years in the making but much of the pollution going over the Park is from the tourons cars parked at the red lights so they can see the local T traps while they wait and maybe stop and spend part of their dollar. Lots of previous visitors will tell you about 'what it once was' but today it is for the tourons.

[dave1961]

Originally Posted by richelles

One person called Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge exactly what they are. Neon Valley (Pig eon fudge) and Gatlinburg (dirt piled on dirt) are a bathtub ring around the National Park. There are ways to avoid that ring of scum bypassing Gatlinburg but you still have to go through neon valley and Sevierville which is the original 'malfunction junction' to get to the Park. On the other side Cherokee is well on its way to being almost as ugly, Tennessee's senior senator built a 4 lane highway to nowhere in particular so his land was inside the development boundary from Maryville (call it mare'vlle). Around the rest of the Park are a number of one horse towns which cater to tourons and are planning to make things much worse than Nat Geo found. It has been years in the making but much of the pollution going over the Park is from the tourons cars parked at the red lights so they can see the local T traps while they wait and maybe stop and spend part of their dollar. Lots of previous visitors will tell you about 'what it once was' but today it is for the tourons.

When you say tourons, are you really saying morons?

[richelles]

TOURist= morONS Ever been driving down the Parkway in Pigeon Forge when one of them makes a left hand turn from the right lane so they can see the old car parked on the right hand side going the other way??????

[weisgarber1]

Originally Posted by richelles

TOURist= morONS Ever been driving down the Parkway in Pigeon Forge when one of them makes a left hand turn from the right lane so they can see the old car parked on the right hand side going the other way??????

You seem to be pretty negative and judgmental.