[SUBMITTED] Onto Grayer Pastures

[Jutsa]

Had a lot of fun with this.

Title: Onto Grayer Pastures
The Issue: Little @@ANIMAL@@ City, a small but densely populated city in western @@NAME@@, has been suffering from crippling smog, responsible for high rates of lung disease among its residents. Studies have shown that the largest issue, both figuratively and literally, is the surrounding hills keeping the smog from dissipating, rendering even the most aggressive smog reduction measures only somewhat effective.
Validity: Chain from #682.1-4

Option 1: "Emission reductions can only get you so far in a city like this," suggests rather sheepish mining coordinator @@RANDOMNAME@@, laying out a rather detailed black-and-white map of the region. "The problem here is geography. If we demolish one strategically chosen mountain, we could allow smog to freely flow out of the basin, all while providing jobs, opening a new transportation corridor, and potentially unearthing untold riches. It shouldn't be too hard to move a billion tons of rock, right?"
[effect] they say you can move a mountain if you put an entire nation's might and resources into doing so

Option 2: "You're thinking too big; if the city has ten times the smog problem, we need ten times stricter anti-pollution laws," cries a gas-mask-clad local environmental activist after riding a bike into your desk. "Cut factory operation hours, ban pollutant transportation entirely within the area, ban unnecessary pollution of all kind, and deploy round-the-clock fire patrol to prevent any remote wildfires. Imagine the credibility you'd give @@NAME@@ if you turned your dirtiest city into the cleanest!"
[effect] chewing gum leaves too high an environmental footprint

Option 3: "Lets just take Little @@ANIMAL@@ City and push it somewhere else!" says rather pinheaded Patrick Picard, gesticulating eloquently and presently shirtless. "Well not literally. But with enough planning and elbow grease, we could relocate the residential areas onto the mountains, and give away masks for people to work below. We would certainly take care of the problem with..." He looks at the palm of his hand. "gee-aw-graaa-feeeee..."
[effect] torch-wielding droves in gas masks invade hazy industrial parks by day and retreat to the mountains by night

Option 4: "This natural smog collector is the perfect opportunity to capture and destroy our emissions," declares futuristic city planner @@RANDOMNAME@@. "I'm talking rooftop and window gardens, trees in small parks and alongside streets, and specialized air filtration systems built into every building. If the government were to allow my firm to operate in residential areas free of any and all liability, and create large fans to divert all of @@NAME@@'s smog into the newly specialized basin, I'm sure we will have a city and @@NAME@@ of tomorrow by... tomorrow."
[effect] cities are gassed out by passing wind

Title: Onto Grayer Pastures
The Issue: Little @@ANIMAL@@ City, a small but densely populated city in western @@NAME@@, has been suffering from crippling smog, responsible for high rates of lung disease within the city. Studies have shown that the largest issue, both figuratively and literally, is the surrounding hills keeping the smog from dissipating, rendering even the most aggressive smog reduction measures only somewhat effective.
Validity: Chain from #682.1-4

Option 1: "Emission reductions can only get you so far in a city like this," suggests rather sheepish mining coordinator @@RANDOMNAME@@, laying out a rather detailed black-and-white map of the region. "The problem here is geography. Which means we need to fix geography. If we demolish one strategically chosen mountain, we could allow smog to freely flow out of the basin, all while providing jobs, opening a new transportation corridor, and potentially unearthing untold riches. It shouldn't be too hard to move 10^12 kg of rock, right?"
[effect] they say you can move a mountain if you put the entire nation's might and resources into doing so

Option 2: "You're thinking too big; if the city has ten times the smog problem, we need ten times stricter anti-pollution laws," cries a gas-mask-clad local environmental activist after riding a bike into your desk. "Cut factory operation hours, ban pollutant transportation entirely within the area, ban unnecessary pollution of all kind, and deploy round-the-clock fire patrol to prevent any remote wildfires. Imagine the credibility you'd give @@NAME@@ if you turned your dirtiest city into the cleanest!"
[effect] chewing gum leaves too high an environmental footprint

Option 3: "Lets just take Little @@ANIMAL@@ City and push it somewhere else!" says rather pinheaded Patrick Picard, gesticulating eloquently and presently shirtless. "Well not literally. But with enough planning and elbow grease, we could relocate the residential areas onto the mountains, and give away masks for people to work below. We would certainly take care of the problem with..." He looks at the palm of his hand. "gee-aw-graaa-feeeee..."
[effect] torch-wielding droves in gas masks invade hazy industrial parks by day and retreat to the mountains by night

Option 4: "This natural smog collector is the perfect opportunity to capture and destroy our emissions," declares futuristic city planner @@RANDOMNAME@@. "I'm talking rooftop and window gardens, trees in small parks and alongside streets, and specialized air filtration systems built into every building. If the government were to allow my firm to operate in residential areas free of any and all liability, and create large fans to divert all of @@NAME@@'s smog into the newly specialized basin, I'm sure we will have a city and @@NAME@@ of tomorrow by... tomorrow."
[effect] entire cities are gassed out by parliament passing wind

Title: Onto Grayer Pastures
The Issue: Little @@ANIMAL@@ City, a small but densely populated city in western @@NAME@@, has been suffering from crippling smog, responsible for high rates of lung disease within the city. Studies have shown that the largest issue, both metaphorically and literally, is the surrounding hills keeping the smog from dissipating, rendering even the most aggressive smog reduction measures only somewhat effective.
Validity: Chain from #682.1-4

Option 1: "Emission reductions can only get you so far in a city like this," suggests respirator salesperson @@RANDOMNAME@@, giving you a free sample. "Picture it: all your problems solved with just five easy payments to our company per dust mask. We'll even offer eye protection, heavy-duty gloves, and exclusive premium subscription-based hazmat suits to walk around in the city safely during the day! Maybe you could even set back some of your regulations to make this a more lucrative business."
[effect] torch-wielding droves in gas masks wander through the dark fogs of outer cities

Option 2: "This is the perfect opportunity to capture and destroy our emissions," declares futuristic city planner @@RANDOMNAME@@. "I'm talking rooftop and window gardens, trees in small parks and alongside streets, and specialized air filtration systems built into every building. If the government were to allow my firm to operate in residential areas free of any and all liability, I'm sure we will have a city of tomorrow by... tomorrow."
[effect] giant fans blow smoke from one city to another

Option 3: "Always wanting to disrupt people's lives, aren't we?" accuses rather sheepish mining coordinator @@RANDOMNAME@@, laying out a rather detailed black-and-white map of the region. "If you lift the smoke screen, you'll see the problem is geography. Which means we need to fix geography. If we were to dump a colossal pool of resources into a massive mining project, we will could install wind funnels that divert the smog and potentially amass untold riches."
[effect] mountain ranges have become significant environmental danger zones

Title: Onto Grayer Pastures
The Issue: @@ANIMAL@@ City, one of the most densely populated cities in @@NAME@@, is also one of the most polluted cities. Data suggests that the abundant smog, made even worse by the city's surrounding geography, is responsible for increased instances of lung diseases and substantially lower lifespan of its inhabitants.
Validity: Option 682.3, maaybe #299.3? And 299.4? And any other option that might be a nice trigger for this?; Capitalist, MAYBE above a certain population size

Option 1: "Now's the perfect time for the free market to adapt and adjust," proposes respirator sales CEO @@RANDOMNAME@@, giving you a free sample. "Picture it: all your problems solved with just five easy payments to our company for a dust mask. We'll even offer eye protection, heavy-duty gloves, and exclusive premium subscription-based gas masks to walk around in the city safely during the day! Just give my company some startup subsidies and we'll be the corporate utopia of @@REGION@@!"
[effect] torch-wielding droves in gas masks stumble through the streets

Option 2: "Hey, don't listen to this idiot!" cries futuristic city planner @@RANDOMNAME@@, laying down a surprisingly detailed and oddly black-and-white areal view of the region. "If we want to get rid of the smog and make our workers truly more productive, we'll need a massive overhaul. I'm talking rooftop and window gardens, trees in small parks and alongside streets, and specialized air filtration systems. Of course, it'd be a lot of work and won't be as profitable short-term, but if the government partners with contractors and allows us to operate on government and privately owned property free of any and all liability, I'm sure we will have a city of tomorrow by... tomorrow."
[effect] residential high-rises look suspiciously like office complexes

Validity: Top 50% for ignorance
Option 3: "Repeat after me: this is not a problem," declares @@RANDOMNAME@@, the town's current mayor, pointing at you with a ballpoint pen. "If people don't know they're dying cause of a little smog — which they definitely aren't — then nobody will care. Now, repeat after me: this is not a problem."
[effect] "this is not a problem" is the general consensus on weather reports

Option 4: "Lets just take @@ANIMAL@@ City and push it somewhere else!" says rather pinheaded Patrick @@RANDOMLASTNAME@@, gesticulating eloquently and presently shirtless. "Well not literally. But everyone moving would certainly take care of the problem with..." He looks at the palm of his hand. "gee-aw-graaa-feeeee..."
[effect] maps are virtually useless

[Australian rePublic]

Option 4- yeay! Someone's finally used that as an option. Just try to build your factories on the eastern side this time. Also, you can literally move the city. Also, no, @@ANIMAL@@ City must be a coastal city

[Jutsa]

Eh, that's a stand-in until we come up with something else. Greenville's a small town and that leaves @@CAPITAL@@ canon.
Though, that said, Greenville being the dense smog-covered city would certainly have a funny irony to it.

Also I had a feeling you'd like that option.

[Australian rePublic]

Eh, that's a stand-in until we come up with something else. Greenville's a small town and that leaves @@CAPITAL@@ canon.
Though, that said, Greenville being the dense smog-covered city would certainly have a funny irony to it.

Also I had a feeling you'd like that option.

Greenville is a nice little city in the snow. We have an issue about building infrastructure there. How about, instead of using a town which exists in the issue canon, we build a new one from scratch

[Jutsa]

I guess we could use a new name, but I feel kinda bad about doing that.
I'd offer just using no city names, but then the description feels a little off — in fact that's why I added @@ANIMAL@@ City in the first place.

On top of that, even though it's by the sea, it could still be a smoggy city if it's surrounded by some hilly terrain, I suppose.
And could still be moved, just to another coastline.

Idk, a bit of a pickle, that one.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Smog is mentioned 13 times in existing issues (including effect lines) and Issue 682 is specifically about urban smog. While there's potential for issues about specific air pollution concerns (e.g. 685 Externalities Palmed Off) I think an issue that is generically about smog as this one overlaps too heavily.

I'd suggest instead making it not about the capital, but about a lesser city like @@ANIMAL@@ City and specifically focusing on the issue of surrounding geography.

[Jutsa]

Hmm... could do that. Not entirely sure how to tackle it, buuut it could be interesting, and would tie geography together with the issue more.

[Baggieland]

This article might help you.

https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/sciencebites/chapter/causes-and-consequences-of-air-pollution-in-beijing-china/

[Bears Armed]

Hmm... could do that. Not entirely sure how to tackle it, buuut it could be interesting, and would tie geography together with the issue more.

The smog is concentrated there (as in parts of the greater LA area?] because of the surrounding hills? Include a "level the hills" option...

[Jutsa]

Another oldie. Changed it around so it could follow up to all of the options in #682, though idk if it should or not.
I do, however, feel like it's probably best if it does.

Not 100% sure it can work as a stand-alone issue, but I'll bump it to get everyone else's opinions on it.

[Candlewhisper Archive]

The premise is good, thanks to focusing on the geography angle.

However the options drop the ball, with only one option actually addressing that premise, and the other two just generically suggesting ways to deal with smog.

I'd suggest instead options along the lines of:

1) Try to get free flow of air through the smog basin, by demolishing just one strategically chosen mountain. How hard can it be to shift 10^12 kg of rock?
2) The city is lighter than the mountains, so move the city, or at least the parts where people live. Subsidise construction of residential developments higher up the slopes, and move the population uphill where the air is clearer.
3) If the smog takes ten times as long to clear, give the city ten times stricter anti-pollution laws than the rest of the country.
4) Or, just have less people in the city. Cap the city population, and deny any permits to build or expand the city. It'll shrink on its own.

These are just examples,though you're welcome to them. I feel like the issue needs to focus on the smog basin, not the smog, or it won't be unique.

[Jutsa]

Went with these options instead:

1) Move a mountain
2) Super Strict Anti-Pollution Laws
3) Move the residential areas and supply masks
4) Concentrate smog into the city to destroy it

Hopefully this plays with the smog basin in a better way.

[Daarwyrth]

Little @@ANIMAL@@ City, a small but densely populated city in western @@NAME@@, has been suffering from crippling smog, responsible for high rates of lung disease within the city.

A small remark, but you have used "city" in this sentence three times. To differentiate, perhaps consider using other words like "a small but densely populated area/settlement".

rather sheepish mining coordinator @@RANDOMNAME@@, laying out a rather

Same remark as before, try to remove one "rather"

The problem here is geography. Which means we need to fix geography

Idem dito.

of all kind

Consider changing this to "of any kind".

chewing gum leaves too high an environmental footprint

This effect line could be sharpened, I feel. Perhaps something like "the rising number of prisoners can be linked to the decreases sales of chewing gum" or something better you can think of

I really like the issue and I think it has an interesting angle on the issue of smog! It reminds me a lot of the smog related issues in Poland, Krakow in particularly. I'm looking forward to see how this issue draft will develop

[Drasnia]

Little @@ANIMAL@@ City, a small but densely populated city in western @@NAME@@, has been suffering from crippling smog, responsible for high rates of lung disease within the city.

A small remark, but you have used "city" in this sentence three times. To differentiate, perhaps consider using other words like "a small but densely populated area/settlement".

Or possibly "... responsible for high rates of lung disease among its residents."

Which means we need to fix geography.

This could probably just be omitted. It doesn't really contribute much and interrupts the flow a bit.

10^12 kg of rock

I could see a really science-y/academic person maybe talking like that, but I don't think it really fits a mining coordinator. You might change it to 'trillion'. It even works a bit as a joke as that's 10^12 on the short scale but 10^18 on the long scale. I love confusing metrics.

[effect] entire cities are gassed out by parliament passing wind

This effect line doesn't make much logical sense to me in the context of its option.

Really good issue. I hope it makes it into the game

[Jutsa]

Teehee, thank you, Drasnia. ^-^

Implemented your suggestions (hopefully correctly). Think option 1 should be split between kilograms and pounds (play on metricism vs. non-metricism),
or does that seem more like an unnecessary hassle than a nice little nod to the policy?

[Trotterdam]

Implemented your suggestions (hopefully correctly). Think option 1 should be split between kilograms and pounds (play on metricism vs. non-metricism),
or does that seem more like an unnecessary hassle than a nice little nod to the policy?

I'm pretty sure most people would measure such large masses in tons, which could be either short tons (907.18474 kilograms), long tons (1016.0469088 kilograms), or metric tons (1000 kilograms).