Articles
Environmental Politics, Health
Where there’s fire, there’s smoke: Fireworks are terrible for the environment, especially for air quality
Some people just can’t fathom a 4th of July or Pioneer Day holiday without fireworks. The bright colors, loud booms and bangs are thrilling to some. But for other people (and dogs) …
Environmental Politics
Something good comes from Covid: Air pollution decreased dramatically during lockdown
From March through April when Utahns were asked to “stay home, stay safe” as much as possible to reduce the number of Covid-19 cases, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) s …
Environmental Politics
Covid-19 and air quality
What we can learn from the pandemic that may help Utahns in times of Air Quality crisis. The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented times globally, to say the least …
Environmental Politics, Think
It bears repeating: The dirty truth about burning wood
Utahn’s are getting the message. Wood smoke contains over 200 chemicals and compounds, including carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), diox …
Energy, Environmental Politics, Transportation
Tier 3 fuels are here at last!
Doing your part to improve Utah’s air just got easier thanks to Tier 3 gasoline Over the last several years we’ve been hearing a lot about Tier 3 gasoline. It should play an import …
Health
Air quality affects sleep quality
We have a pretty good understanding about air pollution in relation to respiratory illnesses like asthma and COPD, and know there’s a link to cardiovascular disease. But it turns o …
Car care = air care
Passing an emissions test has been a requirement for registering a passenger car or truck in Salt Lake County since April 1, 1984. Nonetheless, pollution coming from the tailpipes …
Transportation
Cold starts
Tips on how to avoid that moment when cars produce the most pollution Did you know that 75% of the pollution coming from your tailpipe occurs in the first 50 seconds your car is ru …
Transportation
If you’re in the market for a new car…
Read this first We’re fast approaching car buying season. Now is the perfect time to learn how you can consider air quality when deciding on which make and model to buy. There are …
Environmental Politics, Health
The air knows no boundaries
Prevailing winds carry ozone to Utah from upwind states as well as across the Pacific This time of year there is a lot of buzz about ozone air pollution. Ozone plagues areas of Uta …
Environmental Politics, Health
Good news: Utah’s air quality is improving!
Caveat: It’s an ongoing process In 2006, the EPA tightened the health standard for PM2.5 pollution—the fine particulate matter pollution that builds during winter inversions and ca …
Environmental Politics, Health
Meet the dust doctor
Atmospheric scientist Kevin Perry knows what blows from the Great Salt Lake Last year I wrote about dust that often blows in from the southwest, plaguing areas of the Wasatch Front …
Environmental Politics
“Rolling coal”: how to make bad air worse
Rolling coal” is the practice of intentionally blowing a plume of thick black exhaust from a diesel truck. To make this happen, someone has modified the emissions controls to incr …
Environmental Politics, Health
You can legislate the air!
Air quality-related proposals for Utah’s 2019 legislative session Tier 3 gasoline has made many headlines in the past year and is touted as one of the most crucial strategies for c …
Health
What’s your air quality IQ?
Love your lungs, but don’t stop there! Love your family’s and neighbors’ lungs too Wintertime inversion season is upon us. The most important thing you can do to protect yourself t …
