Monthly Archives: February 2010

Kids act to help clear air

A class of 29 sixth-graders at East Millcreek’s Morningside Elementary hopes to send a message to Utah drivers — by way of the state Legislature — to shut off their cars when waiting in line.
Their anti-idling campaign is in full swing, with banners, buttons, signs and a student-produced video urging folks to “turn your key, be idle free.” And even though these kids are still too young to vote, they intend to have a voice on Capitol Hill this legislative season. State lawmakers commence their 45-day session on Jan. 25.
Rep. Carol Moss, D-Holladay, is sponsoring the students’ nonbinding resolution on clean air. While visiting their classroom Wednesday, Moss commended the group for engaging in the public process on an issue that affects everyone. “I hope you feel good about what you’re doing,” Moss said. “You can make a difference.”
In teacher Patti White’s mind, that’s the value of education in a nutshell.
“They know now that if they don’t like their air quality,” White said, “they can take steps toward actually doing something about it.”
The fruit of White’s “Team HOPE” — Helping Our Planet Earth — is already starting to sprout.
“I’m not sure if it’s a direct effect of what we’re doing,” said one boy. “But just two days ago, no one in the entire line of cars [at school] was idling.”
Several of White’s students have asthma. And all Morningside pupils must forgo recess when the air quality is bad. Utah topped the charts this week for the worst air in the nation, driving the kids inside until the Wasatch Front inversion clears.

The students — some of them future state officeholders, perhaps — peppered their draft resolution with facts about the damaging effects of engine-idling on health, the air and yes, the vehicles themselves. Moss said she will need the group’s support during upcoming committee and floor discussions on the resolution.
“And it’s important that you send an e-mail or letter to your representatives,” Moss said. “That’s called lobbying for a bill.”
Robin Erickson, director of Utah Clean Cities, was also on hand Wednesday to applaud the kid-powered effort.
“This resolution climaxes everything we’ve been working on,” Erickson said, citing anti-idling ordinances in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Provo and Ogden as precursors. “This will take it statewide,” Erickson said. “People are finally ready to listen when you have the worst air quality in the nation.”
By Cathy McKitrick
cmckitrick@sltrib.com

Doing what we can to lessen winter pollution.

No one needs to tell residents of the Wasatch Front that our air is polluted during the winter. We can literally see, smell and taste the evidence.
In the winter months, the Wasatch Front experiences acutely polluted and very unhealthy air. Winter brings the right meteorological conditions (cold temperatures, no breeze, snow on the ground) that cause our valleys to fill up with particulate matter and other pollution as it is trapped under a layer of warmer air.

During these times, the air along the Wasatch Front is among the most polluted in the entire country. 50% of this toxic pollution comes from automobiles. Fine particles such as those in soot and dust can become lodged in delicate lung tissue, decreasing lung function–a particularly hazardous situation for children, fetuses, and people with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
(Click here for a current look at Salt Lake Visibility)

Make a Difference
You have the power to make a difference in our air quality.
During these times of poor air quality, one of the best things you can do is leave your vehicle parked and look for other ways to get around.

If you can’t leave your vehicle parked, make sure you’re driving smarter and taking other steps to reduce air pollution.

For more great ideas, check out this list of suggestions or take a quick survey to see which options best suit you.

What you can do:
Get notified about Air Quality so you will know when the air is deteriorating and be prepared to act accordingly
Create your own “Red Air Day Action Plan”–plan in advance so you can avoid all unnecessary driving
Ask your child’s school principal about their Red Air Exercise Reccomendations and make sure the guidelines are being used. See these suggestions for implementing the guidelines.
Don’t idle your car longer than ten seconds and set up an anti-idling program at your child’s school or your own place of work.
Links:
50 winter steps: http://www.cleanair.utah.gov/winter_steps.htm
Idle Free Utah: http://www.idlefree.utah.gov/idling_impacts.htm
Air Quality Alerts: http://www.cleanair.utah.gov/listserv.htm

Technology necessary to stop inversion

Sometimes in the winter, Salt Lake City air gets so bad you could mistakenly think you’re in a big city such as Beijing or Los Angeles.
Particularly in January along the Wasatch Front, Utah notoriously has had bad air. It’s so bad, in fact, that the National Science Foundation just approved $1.3 million to fund a study to collect better data as to why the inversion occurs.
So far this year, more than 20 health warnings have been issued by Utah environmental officials because of the bad air quality. The dirty air causes many people to cough, sneeze and have flu-like symptoms.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Utah has been given the distinction of having the worst air in America—several times.
Professor John Horel of the U’s department of atmospheric sciences is one of the principal investigators of the study about the inversion. He said this will be the largest field study of atmospheric conditions in Utah in more than a decade.
“This study is going to identify the weather that contributes to the development, maintenance and breakup of these inversions,” he said. “What is different about our study is the goal to improve the simulation and eventual prediction of the weather conditions associated with the pollution events.”
Because much of that money—$550,000—will come back to the U in the form of students and researchers setting up equipment and collecting and analyzing data, it’s difficult to turn up your nose at the study. However, because it is commonly known that the inversion results from cold-air pockets that trap pollutants and fog, it seems like an superfluous exercise that can be predicted with Doppler radar.
Another use of the money could be investing in weather modification technology. As seen with the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, the Chinese are fine-tuning their ability to make it rain on the eve of major events.
China’s Weather Modification Office employs 37,000 people. Essentially, it uses rocket launchers loaded with cloud-seeding compounds to either moisten clouds or drain them, depending on the need. Utah definitely has the need for wind and moisture to clear out the valley when cold pockets gather and dirty the air.
Yes, solutions such as carpooling, riding public transportation and staying indoors should definitely be put into practice by people doing their part as good citizens to reduce pollution. However, when circumstances beyond our control come into play, it makes sense to adopt creative answers to solve the problem.
By investing in weather modification technology and equipment, Utah can implement immediate solutions that will cut down on the poor visibility and lung congestion caused by the bad air.
[http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/technology-necessary-to-stop-inversion-1.2149332]
By Liz Carlston