Utah Moms for Clean Air

Utah Division of Air Quality has issued an alert of Yellow Air Quality Action day for Utah, Salt Lake, Davis, and Weber Counties for Saturday, September 1st.

SALT LAKE & DAVIS counties: Air Quality Condition: Yellow Air Quality Action Day. Please reduce driving by car-pooling or taking mass transit or by consolidating trips.
Health advisory: none

UTAH County: Air Quality Condition: Yellow Air Quality Action Day. Please reduce driving by car-pooling or taking mass transit or by consolidating trips.
Health advisory: none

WEBER County: Air Quality Condition: Yellow Air Quality Action Day. Please reduce driving by car-pooling or taking mass transit or by consolidating trips.
Health advisory: none

CACHE County: Air Quality Condition: Moderate.
Health Advisory: none

It may seem like a lot to ask on a holiday weekend, but if you drive smarter, use a non-charcoal barbeque for outdoor cooking, and take other simple personal steps, you can reduce contributions to air pollution that can effect the health of you and your family.

For Friday, August 31, no health advisory has been issued by the Utah Division of Air Quality, but people of Utah, Salt Lake, Davis, and Weber Counties are asked to drive less in order to reduce their contribution to air pollution. If enough people reduce their emissions, we may avoid levels of pollutants that cause more harmless effects on health.

SALT LAKE & DAVIS counties: Air Quality Condition: Yellow Air Quality Action Day. Please reduce driving by car-pooling or taking mass transit or by consolidating trips.
Health advisory: none

UTAH County: Air Quality Condition: Yellow Air Quality Action Day. Please reduce driving by car-pooling or taking mass transit or by consolidating trips.
Health advisory: none

WEBER County: Air Quality Condition: Yellow Air Quality Action Day. Please reduce driving by car-pooling or taking mass transit or by consolidating trips.
Health advisory: none

CACHE County: Air Quality Condition: Moderate.
Health Advisory: none

Check out what else you can do to Choose Clean Air.

When the Utah Division of Air Quality sent out Yellow Air Quality Action alerts for Salt Lake, Davis, and Weber Counties for today, Thursday, August 30, there was a significant change. The action alert for each county includes a specific request to reduce driving.

SALT LAKE & DAVIS counties: Air Quality Condition: Yellow Air Quality Action Day. Please reduce driving by taking mass transit or carpooling, consolidate trips.
Health advisory: none

UTAH County: Air Quality Condition: Yellow Air Quality Action Day. Please reduce driving by taking mass transit or carpooling, consolidating trips.
Health advisory: none

WEBER County: Air Quality Condition: Yellow Air Quality Action Day. Please reduce driving by carpooling or using mass transit, consolidating trips.
Health advisory: none

There was also an addition of a different form of alert for Cache County.

As issued by the Bear River Health Department: Ozone concentrations are expected to remain in the low to moderate levels. No Air Quality Action Day is expected in Cache County.

It must be getting late in the year, because wood burning information is now included. Since today is a Yellow Air Quality Action day with temperatures in the 90s, it ought to be easy to voluntarily not burn wood for heating.

Get more and detailed information on Wasatch Front air quality.

A study just released by researchers at UCLA shows that women who lived in regions with air pollution (specifically high carbon monoxide or fine-particle levels) were approximately 10 to 25 percent more likely to have a preterm baby than women who lived in less polluted areas. This was especially true for women who breathed polluted air during the first trimester or during the last months and weeks of pregnancy. Read more about it here (news story) and here (journal article).

The Utah Division of Air Quality tells us we have moderate air quality along the whole Wasatch Front today.

CACHE County: Air Quality Condition: Moderate level- Yellow Air Quality Action
Health advisory: None

SALT LAKE & DAVIS counties: Air Quality Condition: Moderate level - Yellow Air Quality Action
Health Advisory: None

UTAH County: Air Quality Condition: Moderate level -Yellow Air Quality Action
Health Advisory: None

WEBER County: Air Quality Condition: Moderate level -Yellow Air Quality Action
Health Advisory: None

The “Action” in Yellow Air Quality Action is the action they urge you to take. The biggest air pollution contributor you personally have control over is vehicle emissions. As they say on their Choose Clean Air list of 50 steps you can take to choose clean air. “Driving less doesn’t mean you have to stay home.”

Division of Air Quality has only just issued anticipated air quality conditions and health advisories for today, Monday, August 20.

CACHE County: Air Quality Condition: Moderate level - Yellow Air Quality Action
Health advisory: None

SALT LAKE & DAVIS counties: Air Quality Condition: Moderate level - Yellow Air Quality Action
Health Advisory: None

UTAH County: Air Quality Condition: Moderate level - Yellow Air Quality Action
Health Advisory: None

WEBER County: Air Quality Condition: Moderate level -Yellow Air Quality Action
Health Advisory: None

Because cars are a significant contributor to Wasatch Front air pollution, we are encouraged to drive as little as possible on yellow days. Today this includes all reporting Wasatch Front counties. Please drive less when you can.

Check reported air quality conditions for Carbon Monoxide, Ozone, PM 10 and PM 2.5 (particulate matter of 10 microns and 2.5 microns), as reported hourly. Data carries the following disclaimer:

Real Time particulate concentrations are provided to alert the public to potential health issues. The predicted values may be different from actual measured filter concentrations. All Data are published after 12 minutes of each hour at Mountain Standard Time. Data is a current 24 hours running average. These data are not official but tentative only.

Dear Moms for Clean Air,

We are excited to announce our first social for everyone to meet, mingle, and strategize about clean air issues.

Please join us Saturday, August 18, 9:30 a.m. at Laird Park, 1800 East 1200 South. Laird Park has a shady playground and is conveniently located near the 5 and 52 bus routes (see Ride UTA to plan your trip).

Shane from Scales and Tails will be joining us to entertain the kids with his menagerie of slithering and creepy crawly beasts (see Scales & Tails Utah).

Bagels, cream cheese, and drinks will be provided. To minimize waste and conserve resources, please bring your own re-usable plates, utensils, and cups.

We ask that each family make a suggested donation of $20 (or more!) to Utah Moms for Clean Air to support our ongoing work. There will also be information on our current issues and events and how you can get involved. Our combined efforts will improve Utah’s air quality!

Thanks and see you all on August 18!

Cherise Udell
Founder, Utah Moms for Clean Air

Together with Co-founders:
Dana Clark
Cameron Cova
Travis Harvey
Michelle Hofmann
Pat Sanders
Lori Taylor
Jennifer Whitlock

Maggie Wolf, an assistant professor for Utah State University Extension in Salt Lake County, has written a great article for the Salt Lake Tribune on the advantages of push mowers.

A Swedish scientist estimated, in 2001, that mowing an average-size lawn with a gasoline-powered mower emits as much air pollution as a 100-mile car trip.

Ouch.

The article also includes suggestions from a USU turf specialist, including planting buffalograss that doesn’t grow tall and so doesn’t need mowing.

With a people-powered push mower you will save money, keep quiet, and get a workout. Most important, you won’t be emitting “as much air pollution as a 100-mile car trip.”

• “Gardening: Getting reel with your lawn,” Maggie Wolf, Salt Lake Tribune, August 13, 2007.
• Lawnmower World on push mowers listed the advantages above.
• “Grass Cutting Beats Driving in Making Air Pollution,” Mindfully.org, 2001.
• “Measurement of Regulated and Unregulated Exhaust Emissions from a Lawn Mower with and without an Oxidizing Catalyst: A Comparison of Two Different Fuels,” Anders Christensen and Roger Westerholm, Environmental Science Technology, 35:11 (2001), 2166-2170. [View pdf of original report.]

UPDATE: Thanks to a Provo member of Utah Moms for Clean Air who added more lawn mower references.