Yet another benefit(?) of growth …

Man, Denver has been taking a bunch of "L"s lately. First we were dubbed the most ungrateful little asshats in the nation by Indeed.com, and now a new report from the American Lung Association is ripping apart our quality of air. 

In fact, per the study, 12 counties in the state received "F"s on ALA's report card. Very few counties that data can be collected in scored above that. We're a state full of breathable failure. 

Among the top ten worst in the nation, Denver (along with Aurora) ranks 8th. Fort Collins finishes off at 10th.

To put that in perspective: We're in the company of 6 cities in California, one of the filthiest places we can even hope to image in our lifetimes. We're sharing a list with California on being dirty — that's depressing as hell.

Last year, Denver ranked 13th — the rise in crappiness likely due to persistent emissions from cars and industry, a product of of our incredible growth.

"This is cause for concern, not good," ALA Colorado director Curt Huber tells the Denver Post. "Ozone is an irritant to the inside of the lungs. Ozone does to the inside of the lungs what sandpaper does to the skin."

So while we're here enjoying our Colorado sunsets — that prove unequivocally God is a Broncos fan — keep in mind that the more majestic these things of beauty become, the more shit there is flying above our heads. 

TOP 10 U.S. CITIES MOST POLLUTED WITH CRAP:

1. Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA
2. Bakersfield, CA
3. Visalia-Porterville-Hanford, CA
4. Fresno-Madera, CA
5. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale,AZ
6. Sacramento-Roseville, CA
7. Modesto-Merced, CA
8. Denver-Aurora, CO
9. Las Vegas-Henderson, NV/AZ.
10. Fort Collins, CO

Cover Photo: Mark Schwinn