I’m home from China, and newly appreciative of Spokane’s blue skies, fresh air and, yes, our remarkably sane traffic.

China’s in the midst of its own industrial revolution, which has led to a booming economy and an estimated 1,000 new drivers on the road every day in Beijing alone. They often straddle two lanes, swerve, honk their horns and belch the exhaust of leaded gasoline. That’s why smog hangs gray and dense and some days you can even taste the air.

Fortunately, I hit the Great Wall several days after this photo was taken. This shows May Day holiday tourists crowding the ancient site. (AP photo)< />