Spring Cleaning, sort of...

Utah air quality benefits from the arrival of spring. As the colder temperatures from winter subside, the tendency for an inversion to settle in over Salt Lake and Utah counties decrease. This is the benefit of spring, however, the downside to spring is the increased pollen counts in the air. While this isn't necessarily polluting the air and directly polluting the environment, I would still consider it a pollutant because it can be damaging to people with allergies who breathe it in. To learn about the daily pollen count for where you live see Pollen. I don't mean to give pollen a bad name. There is nothing we can do to reduce the pollen counts where we live. Pollen is necessary for the reproduction of plants and flowers which are an important part of our world. To learn more about pollen click here.

Dangers of Idling

A few days ago I went to the drive up window at the bank. While I waited for the teller to process my deposit I saw a sticker on their window which suggested that customers in their cars who would be waiting longer than 10 seconds, should turn their cars off rather than let it idle. Not only will they save on gas, they will be reducing emissions and taking an active role in preserving the air quality of Utah.
Vehicle exhaust is one of the leading sources of air pollution in Utah. Idling vehicles release higher concentrated exhaust than when in motion. Because passengers of idling vehicles are not moving, they are at higher exposure to the exhaust as it is able to enter the cabin. The nice thing about this problem is that it is 100% preventable. For more information, visit Clean Air Utah and Environment Defense Fund.