Say goodbye to the basic Green, Yellow and Red air quality days!
Utah’s Division of Air Quality has updated their air quality alert system to more clearly and precisely communicate about action days and health alerts related to Utah’s air quality.
Tag Archives: health
Pesticides & Produce: The Dirty Dozen
Fact: Eating healthy begins with fresh fruits and vegetables.
But it is also important to understand how the use of pesticides in industrial farming impacts the very same produce you buy at your local grocery store.
Even though the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) restricts the use of the most toxic pesticides, they can still be detected on some of your favorite foods.
Turn your key, be idle free
With fall upon us, and cooler weather in the forecast for Salt Lake City, it is the perfect time to recommit to making one small change that will have a positive impact on our air quality (and your pocketbook!) this season. Say it with us…
Turn your key, be idle free!
For over six years, Salt Lake City and its partners have promoted the voluntary Idle Free Utah campaign in schools across the valley and in every corner of the state. The campaign reminds parents to eliminate vehicle idling in school pick up zones to prevent the unhealthy buildup of air pollution in an area heavily trafficked by children.
Summer Smog
Summer is a beautiful time in Salt Lake City. The flowers are blooming, the trees are green and the mountains offer unparalleled activities for outdoor enthusiasts and families alike. We are all so happy to say goodbye to the inversions that gunk up our winter air.
But don’t let the blue skies fool you — our valley faces air pollution challenges in the summer months, too. Ozone pollution, a different kind of pollution than our wintertime particulates (PM2.5), forms through a chemical reaction when heat and sun combine with emissions. It can aggravate asthma and impact heart and lung health.
Learn about ozone pollution and its health impacts.
State health officials recommend that on days that face poor air quality, residents exercise outdoors during the morning and evening hours. Ozone pollution often peaks sometime between noon and 6 p.m.
View current air quality conditions in Salt Lake City.
You can limit your impact on air quality by driving less. Ride UTA, walk, bike, skip a trip or even carpool. Track the trips and miles you save by using alternatives to driving alone this July through the Clear the Air Challenge and you just might win a prize for your efforts!
[VIDEOS] Get inspired by Salt Lake City residents making a positive impact on air quality.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uKEyGbu9C8&w=560&h=315]
Hot Issue: Air Quality
Air quality is a hot topic for residents living in Salt Lake City and along the Wasatch Front. It’s no surprise, really. With more than 22 RED air quality days on the calendar so far this year, it’s easy to count the days our air quality has been GREEN on your fingers.
Learn more about winter inversions – what they are and what we can all do.
Salt Lake City is committed to improving our air quality, and is aggressively working to reduce vehicle emissions and improve air quality through programs that conserve electricity and natural gas, encourage individuals to drive down their personal motor vehicle miles and reduce other sources of air pollution.
Learn more about what Salt Lake City is doing to help improve air quality.
One of the largest contributors to our air pollution is motor vehicle emissions. This is both a challenge and an opportunity. The opportunity is for residents to take simple but important actions to reduce their vehicle trips and miles. The challenge is speaks for itself.
Learn more about driving less and other green transportation options.
In addition to implementing an Idle Free Ordinance, Salt Lake City is working on new strategies that will result in real, measurable improvements in the air quality. Stay tuned for more developments.
Community Food Assessment
How does the availability of wholesome and affordable food impact the health of our community? This is the question that Salt Lake City Green and the Mayor’s Food Policy Task Force took on when they began the Community Food Assessment.
The food assessment provides a basis for developing strategies to support local food enterprises, foster rural/urban food links (farm to plate) and expanding access to healthy and nutritious food.
“Gaining a firm understanding of Salt Lake City’s current food system is necessary to assist Salt Lake City and it’s Food Policy Task Force in creating strategic planning, policy and action steps to strengthen local urban agriculture,” states an excerpt from the report.
Food Snapshot Highlights:
- From 1997 to 2007, Utah Certified Organic operations increased from 3 to 48.
- Salt Lake City is home to more than 22 community, school and neighborhood gardens, providing fresh, healthy food for hundreds of residents.
- Salt Lake City is home to eight farmers markets, providing a direct link between residents and the people growing their food, and providing more convenient, fresh, local food while growing our local food economy.
- Approximately 20% of Salt Lake City’s residential waste is food scraps.
Stayed tuned for more in depth coverage of key findings from the report, including next steps.
In the meantime, read the draft report.
