How’s the Air Quality at Your Home?

During the winter, when high pressure rolls in, pollution builds up.

Specifically pollution called PM2.5 which are tiny particles that actually obscure our view of the mountains and even of neighboring buildings on bad days.

The Division of Air Quality operates monitors at several locations across the Wasatch Front, but pollution concentrations can vary depending on where exactly you’re located. Contributing factors include:

  • Do you live next to a road?
  • Do you have a neighbor who frequently fires up their meat smoker or burns wood?
  • Is there a nearby restaurant or small business that releases precursor pollutants?
  • On top of all those factors– what is happening with the particular mix of geography and weather at your location?

Air quality science is complex.

But gaining a better understanding of pollution nuances across the valley can help policy makers make better decisions, and can help residents better protect themselves. Continue reading →

Join the Pesticide Free SLC Campaign!

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As you may know, Salt Lake City has partnered with the Healthy Babies Bright Futures alliance to conduct an assessment and implement approaches to reduce exposure to certain chemicals deemed most risky for babies in their first 1,000 days of development.

One of the ways we’re doing that is by piloting organic turf management at two Salt Lake City parks, with the goal of adding more City properties.

Now we’re asking you to join us! Take the pledge to be Pesticide Free in your landscaping. You’ll get a yard sign, as well as a helpful toolkit for how to use organic methods at your home or businesses.

“Pesticide Free SLC” is a public campaign to educate and encourage Salt Lake City residents and businesses to phase out chemical pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer use from their landscaping. Continue reading →

New Climate Change Leaders Network Launched!

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Path to Positive Utah brings together 40 inaugural leaders who have committed to discussing and forging local solutions to climate change in Utah.

Read more in the press release below!

SALT LAKE CITY, Nov. 14, 2017 – Prominent Utah leaders from business, government, higher education, faith communities and civic organizations united on Nov. 14, 2017 to sign a declaration acknowledging shared responsibility for protecting Utah’s economy, air quality and environment, and safeguarding against the risks of climate change.

The gathering kicked off Path to Positive Utah, a collaborative initiative sponsored by Utah Clean Energy and ecoAmerica, that represents a diverse group of leaders seeking to understand, prepare for and raise awareness about climate change risks and solutions.

Continue reading →

Salt Lake City featured in Sierra Club’s Ready For 100% Clean Energy Report

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Today, the Sierra Club released a new report showcasing 10 U.S. cities that have made ambitious commitments to be powered with 100 percent clean, renewable energy and the steps those communities are taking to achieve their goal. The report features Salt Lake City, along with Moab, and Park City as leaders in the 100 percent clean energy goal.

Continue reading →

Breathe Clean Festival on November 18

Inversion season is upon us (yuck!)

As we prepare for colder weather and snowfall, it’s also important to understand how to take action on air quality at this time of year. 

UCAIR has helpful resources for understanding Utah’s air pollution problem and what you can do about it.  SLCgreen also has a handy list of actions you can take to reduce your contribution to the bad air.

We’d also like to invite you to come to a free community event on November 18 to learn more.

Breathe Clean Festival

There will be presentations from organizations involved in tackling this issue, as well as helpful giveaways for you and your family (air masks, LED lights, home insulation kits, and more!) Continue reading →

Sustainability Saturday: Green Fleets – Save Money and Clear the Air

We’re excited to talk about “fleets” this week on the Economic Development blog. It’s a subject near and dear to our hearts. Why? Because the purchasing decisions a businesses or government makes on vehicles can have a big impact on air quality and climate. The same goes for individuals.

And one of the most exciting things is the wide range of options, resources, and discounts available! Read on for more ideas.

Halloween Decorating! SLCgreen Style

Sustainability Decorations- plastic bag ghosts, trash bag spider webs, sunflowers.

Halloween is right around the corner! Have you finished your decorations yet?

The City & County Building is having a door decorating competition between departments (never mind that the building itself might be haunted….!)

Of course, here at the Sustainability Department we know it’s important to “walk our talk” in terms of decorating with reused, compostable, and recyclable goods to keep material out of the landfill.

In the process, we had a fun time using our creativity (and Google) to come up with some cool ways to spookishly decorate. Here are some tips for your home or office: Continue reading →

Sustainability Saturday: Take Advantage of SLC’s Sustainability Assets

Does SLC’s commitment to sustainability improve your quality of life? Does it make Salt Lake City a better place to live and work? We think so! Check out our latest blog with SLC Economic Development on how and why businesses should seek out and take advantage of our city’s “sustainability assets.”

#e2business #SustainableBusiness #SustainableCity #LiveWorkPlay