Air Quality/Inversions (sales, how much, purchase)

[kletter1mann]

Not to put too fine a point on it, but it's interesting that UT is an overwhelmingly republican state. And the republican platform and ideology actively rejects those same measures that would actually have an effect - more stringent emission regulations, fuel economy standards, limiting urban sprawl and low density housing, vastly improved mass transit, much higher gas taxes (like Europe and most of the rest of the non-petro-producing world) or engine size taxes (like Italy) that discourage consumption and favor conservation, etc etc etc. The narrative is that the market is self-correcting and will decide for itself. And anyway, all that is pinko, Marxist, liberal, big government stuff that impinges on our liberty.

Really?? I guess the liberty to breathe doesn't count for much. And is best decided by the likes of the power generation industry, bankers etc.

I don't know whether the politics on this board are typical of UT or SLC. But I'd be interested in how anybody thinks that the solutions to this stuff can possibly square with ideology espoused by the state's political majority.

[SLCPUNK]

Originally Posted by kletter1mann

Not to put too fine a point on it, but it's interesting that UT is an overwhelmingly republican state. And the republican platform and ideology actively rejects those same measures that would actually have an effect - more stringent emission regulations, fuel economy standards, limiting urban sprawl and low density housing, vastly improved mass transit, much higher gas taxes (like Europe and most of the rest of the non-petro-producing world) or engine size taxes (like Italy) that discourage consumption and favor conservation, etc etc etc. The narrative is that the market is self-correcting and will decide for itself. And anyway, all that is pinko, Marxist, liberal, big government stuff that impinges on our liberty.

Really?? I guess the liberty to breathe doesn't count for much. And is best decided by the likes of the power generation industry, bankers etc.

I don't know whether the politics on this board are typical of UT or SLC. But I'd be interested in how anybody thinks that the solutions to this stuff can possibly square with ideology espoused by the state's political majority.

IMO, to discuss this subject in detail, it's nearly impossible to ignore that reality. The two are absolutely intertwined.

As I said earlier, if residents (and leaders) can see the air in their face and taste it in their mouth, yet still hold steadfast to a self destructing ideology, then it's hard to be optimistic about a solution other than the next storm to blow it out of the valley.

[GraniteStater]

It will never get any better as long as population continues TO GROW at a very fast rate with additional vehicles on the road along with all of the ancillary polluting industrial sources. The future lies with a much more sophisticated transit system, higher density built environments, and less sprawl.

[kletter1mann]

Originally Posted by GraniteStater

It will never get any better as long as population continues TO GROW at a very fast rate with additional vehicles on the road along with all of the ancillary polluting industrial sources. The future lies with a much more sophisticated transit system, higher density built environments, and less sprawl.

The magnitude of potential emission and fuel consumption reductions that are possible greatly exceed population growth, even in UT. Just get replacing every noncommercial pickups, SUV and vans with a Chevy Cruze would be a vast improvement. The solutions aren't a secret and they aren't profound. But they ain't gonna happen anytime soon for the reasons above.

[movingonagain777]

SDWA Serious Violator List | Enforcement & Compliance History Online (ECHO) | U.S. EPA

[kletter1mann]

Originally Posted by movingonagain777

SDWA Serious Violator List | Enforcement & Compliance History Online (ECHO) | U.S. EPA

How does this have anything to do with air pollution or the inversion problem?

[irman]

Originally Posted by kletter1mann

How does this have anything to do with air pollution or the inversion problem?

Right source, wrong reference ...
Idea Query

Shows that Chevron, Flying J, and Questar are the culprits (Industrial waste)

In that list, you can parse the data and see who spews out the most toxic waste ...

[skibarbie]

I was up in the rare air at Deer Valley yesterday.......Rumors of a yellow orb in the sky and that the sky is still blue were confirmed. Driving, yes driving with just me in my car, back down to the valley was somewhat of a bummer.
I feel very hopeful, as does the employed meteorologist in the household, that the storm on Thursday will bring an end to the chewable air for a bit.
In the meantime, let's start a letter writing campaign to our fine elected officials about some statewide emissions tests?
I believe they are assembling soon in SLC-you can almost smell the stupid in the air...

[124c41]

We lived in Spanish Fork, and had terrible days when the inversion would flow out of the Salt Lake Valley our direction. It would make our eyes burn, and gave us both a cough. My wife had terrible headaches, and the area even began to post bad air quality alerts, urging people to stay indoors on certain days. Somedays it would look like a fog had settled in the Valley. Someone mentioned that the Salt Lake area was building more highways. So true. That won't help the situation. The people in the Salt Lake area, all the way down the Wasatch Range are besieged by industry, increasing population and highways everywhere. I noticed, also that in our subdivision, as well as most all the subdivisions in the area that the mailboxes were in a central location, forcing people to either walk, bike, or drive to check the mail. Most, in our neighborhood chose the latter, especially in the winter. Also in the winter, everyone was driving the kids to school. When the inversion is at it's best, from our neighborhood, we couldn't see the mountains past Mapleton. My wife began to suffer health-wise so bad, we had to move. The area is really nice, but it wasn't for us.

[movingonagain777]

[quote] Shows that Chevron, Flying J, and Questar are the culprits (Industrial waste)

In that list, you can parse the data and see who spews out the most toxic waste ...[quote]

Thank you Irman for knowing exactly where I was going with that!!

[quote]In the meantime, let's start a letter writing campaign to our fine elected officials about some statewide emissions tests?
I believe they are assembling soon in SLC-you can almost smell the stupid in the air.../QUOTE]

Yes Skibarbie I have been pursuing this avenue via/Internet and have written and signed what I could as far as petitions to help. If you have more information or more that I can do please email me and get me started. I have a conviction that I have to exhaust myself in this capacity so that I feel I have contributed to the betterment of this area!! Any guidance or direction is much appreciated. I don't want to be the part of society who is doomed and gloomy into submissiveness.