Hal Crimmel, professor of English and author of Utahs Air Quality Issues: Problems and Solutions, presented his lecture Summer Wildfire Smoke and Wintertime Inversions for Weber State Universitys sustainability series that continued on Nov. 16.<\/p>\n
According to IQAir, a site that provides a worldwide air quality index, Utah had the worst air quality in the world on Aug. 6, largely due to smoke from wildfires pouring into the Wasatch Front. <\/p>\n
Summer fires arent the only continuing problem that affects Utahs air. Crimmel says that communication may be the key to collectively moving towards cleaner air.<\/p>\n
Crimmel said the three main types of pollution that Utahns are likely to notice are inversion, summer smog and wildfire smoke. He pointed out that there is a difference between inversions, naturally-occurring weather phenomena in mountain valleys, and what is popularly called the inversion, which is mainly human fossil fuel pollution.<\/p>\n
We really need to stop using the inversion to shorthand wintertime pollution, Crimmel said. <\/p>\n
Often, local media will use vague terms such as haze when describing poor air quality. He reasons that this leads to the belief that this is purely a natural phenomenon, when in reality, humans have a significant influence.<\/p>\n
Call it smog, Crimmel said. Were getting to the season where people will say haze. Haze is not as scary as pollution or smog. <\/p>\n
According to HEAL Utah, a local group advocating for clean air, emissions come from three primary sources vehicles, area sources and industry. Cars, trucks and heavy-duty vehicles are the biggest contributors to our air quality problems. <\/p>\n
Human-caused emissions from burning fuels are a large factor of poor air quality in Utah.<\/p>\n
Another major factor is wildfire smoke. According to a July report from National Geographic, wildfire smoke can account for 25% of dangerous air pollution in the U.S.<\/p>\n
Around one-fourth of the pollutants in air is from fires. This has been a devastating year for fires, both within the state of Utah and neighboring states, and has greatly impacted the air quality.<\/p>\n
Crimmel emphasized the importance of improving air quality by providing the components of determining longevity and quality of life: behavior accounts for up to 40%, genetics 30% and healthcare 5-10%.<\/p>\n
The remaining nearly one-fourth of life expectancy and quality can be linked to environmental factors. A 2020 study published in the scientific journal Atmosphere revealed that air pollution can shorten the life of the average Utahn by an estimated two years.<\/p>\n
Often what gets in the way of trying to work towards a solution is simply language, Crimmel said. <\/p>\n
In addition to transparent language, he also stressed the importance of using more accessible language. <\/p>\n
We gotta find a way to talk to people in a language where they dont feel like theyre being spoken down to, where they feel like their knowledge and experience is valued, Crimmel said.<\/p>\n
Clear air benefits all Utahns, but how to get there may depend on teamwork and communication in the search for common ground.<\/p>\n
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\nClearing the air: Sustainability series tackles Utah pollution - The Signpost<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"