As someone who has regularly walked and cycled these gorgeous back roads of ours here in rural southern Vermont for over 30 years, I have to say that I've noticed that fresh air is fast becoming a scarce commodity to come by these days.
The reason: the increased use of wood stoves for home heating and the increased popularity of fire pits and outdoor campfires during the warmer months.
It just seems like so many people don't even see all that wood smoke as the air pollution it actually is, nor do they recognize the health hazard wood smoke is to the lungs and everyone's overall well-being.
Likewise, I've noticed what seems to me a high incidence of pulmonary illnesses among my neighbors -asthma, emphysema, even lung cancer - and believe there may well be a connection.