Washington, DC, suffers from many of the same urban maladies as other cities, but sometimes the causes are different. For example, visibility in the city is often restricted, and out-of-towners mistakenly think this is smog. In reality, it is steam, caused by overheated political rhetoric.
Note in this picture of the Penny Monument that the monument looks a bit fuzzy, yet the reflection in the flood pond is nice and clear. This is a common phenomenon in the city, and has even entered the American political language as a phrase used to explain a change in policy after reconsideration: politicians will signal a change of heart by saying that "on reflection" everything seems clearer.
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Unkind critics have long held the hazy weather is responsible for the "myopic view" of national politicians. |
[![[Urban pollution]](pennypollution.jpg)