Utah Moms for Clean Air

Bad air will hang around

Lori — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 16:08:22 +0000

This has been a week of red air quality alerts. We can expect this to continue until storms arrive — possibly Saturday.

[Photo from Salt Lake Tribune, July 11, 2008.]

“Temperatures will slump a bit, but the bad air is going to hang around,” by Judy Fahys, Salt Lake Tribune, July 11, 2008.

Utah makes big changes to reduce commuting

Lori — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:24:40 +0000

The state of Utah will soon shift 16-17,000 employees to 4-day work weeks. In addition to reducing the emissions from power used to heat and cool buildings, this means reducing emissions from commuters.

Our big question is:
will Friday closures mean better air quality?

“Utah becomes first state to make big-time shift to 4-day work week,” by Robert Gehrke. Salt Lake Tribune, June 26, 2008.

Ozone season: Driving less in summer

Lori — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:35:50 +0000

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.

“Ozone season: Our only defense is driving less in summer,” Editorial, Salt Lake Tribune, June 23, 2008.

The girl who silenced the world for five minutes

Cherise — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 04:16:52 +0000

Check out this You-tube video, “the girl who silenced the world for five minutes” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmz6Rbpnu0). Poetic. Poignant. Profound.

Ozone Front and Center

Lori — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:33:47 +0000

It’s great to see Wasatch Front air pollution as the lead story on the front page of the Salt Lake Tribune. I would prefer dirty air weren’t a problem at all so we could concentrate on other issues, but the fact is we need to address air quality as long as it continues to harm our children’s health as it does.

Red air quality flags ahead
Stricter ozone standards put our polluted air in spotlight
by Judy Fahys
Salt Lake Tribune
June 20, 2008

One of the issues in making changes has been the need for clear public education. This article includes an explanation of how ozone is formed along with clear recommendations to REDUCE DRIVING, FILL CARS LATER in the day, and MOW LAWNS LATER in the day. Why?

“Combustion-engine exhaust, power plant emissions, chemical fumes and wildfire smoke react with summer sunlight and heat to form ozone, an air pollutant that is odorless and colorless.”

Thank you, Salt Lake Tribune for the clear and prominent effort to educate the public about air pollution.