Ozone season: Driving less in summer
The Salt Lake Tribune leads the editorial page today with “Ozone season: Our only defense is driving less in summer.”
We write a lot about ozone. Local papers have been writing a lot about ozone. State government has been addressing the problem of ozone. I suspect that if you are reading this, you have already heard a lot about ozone.
Not everyone understands how the deadly mix that becomes ozone is made, though. The better we understand the problem and its causes, the better we can take actions to change it.
[V]ehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, chemical fumes and wildfire smoke all cook in high-90s heat and create air that’s not safe for people with respiratory or heart problems, the very young or the elderly. Our only defense against this invisible threat is staying indoors and driving less.
The new, tighter ozone standard from the EPA will warn us of dangers at lower levels than last summer. But, health professionals and others still say the standard is not tight enough. We need to do more than just meet a compromise ozone standard. We need to act on every level to lessen emissions that contribute to ozone. Let’s start where we each have the most control.
So it’s up to us to take steps to clean up the air, beyond what the government requires. Ozone season should also be the season for taking public transportation and leaving the car at home as much as possible. Our health depends on it.
Read more:
- “Ozone season: Our only defense is driving less in summer,” Editorial, Salt Lake Tribune, June 23, 2008.