The weatherman on TV might politely call it”inversion” but make no mistake: the hazy gunk you see often in Utah’s sky is really pollution. Sadly, Salt Lake City frequently has the worst air quality in the country. In fact, last year the American Lung Association rated Salt Lake “F” for air quality.
But there is hope. Several nonprofit and nonpartisan groups hope to educate communities about the harmful eff ects of bad air and what actions we can all take to ensure future generations will be able to breathe a little easier.
One such organization is “Moms Clean Air Force.” Th e group describes itself as a community of hundreds of thousands of moms (and dads) working together to combat air pollution, including the urgent crisis of our changing climate.
While Moms Clean Air Force is a national organization, the group is paying close attention to Utah. The group’s local initiatives include:
Mercury: Supporting strong limits on harmful mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants.
Climate Change: Fighting global warming by supporting policies that will reduce carbon emissions and decrease dangerous co-pollutants, such as mercury.
Clean Energy: Ensuring that our energy future is renewable, clean, and healthy — for the sake of our children’s health.
Chemical Policy Reform: Fighting to keep toxic chemicals out of the products we use every day, through supporting reform of the outdated Toxic Substances Control Act.
Natural Gas Pollution: Demanding strong protections from methane, volatile organic compounds, and other harmful air pollutants associated with fracking and natural gas development.
