Air Quality/Inversions (Sandy, St. George, Draper: places, winter, work)

[dcisive]

Zionide, you apparently do NOT live on the SW side of the Valley. I guarantee you Kennecott's output of air pollution (tainted dust) is HUGE and ignored by many. I know because I have to live with it. Not to mention it residing on my windows. And now they've pegged Geneva Rock for their "silicated dust emissions" of the Point of the Mountain operations which they plan on expanding. Come on dissertation or not you're missing some KEY issues. I agree with the auto output however, especially the nasty dark belching trucks and pickups let alone the pickups getting long in the tooth that you can smell ahead of you daily outputting out of regulation pollution.

[CCSLC]

Dcisive, your anecdotal experience does not overcome the peer-reviewed studies that contradict your not-objective observations.
Sorry, but your "guarantee" isn't really valuable when there's concrete evidence available for public health about the situation.

And while I don't live full time in the SW side of the valley, I own a home out there and visit several times each week.

[movingonagain777]

Angry residents plan rally after video of Stericycle pollution surfaces | ksl.com

Fortunately.....some folks aren't burying their heads in the sand.....Not long before we see if there will be another winter with 20 + consecutive red air days.

[movingonagain777]

Study: People drive more on bad air alert days

[movingonagain777]

Should Rep. Chris Stewart Sign Over the Deed On His House to This Medical Doctor Over EPA Bet? | EnviroNews

[CCSLC]

I don't know where you all are getting the impression that ANYBODY is burying their heads in the sand about this. Every governing body in the valley, every city, Salt Lake County Health Department, Utah Department of Environmental Quality, residents from all areas... everyone is aware of the problem---the valley is downright infamous for having this problem, this major health concern, 10-25 days each year. It's more talked about in the media here than any other environmental issue---than any other HEALTH issue---every year, and even throughout the year. And nobody denies that we need to make some changes, collectively as a community, to address the problem---to continue to address the problem.

Alarmist assertions that nobody cares or is doing anything, that there are hundreds of citizens out there with their asses in the air who have no idea... that's offensive and unfair to the valley's residents. And especially to all of us working EVERY DAY to change the collective consciousness about the primary contributor to the problem: driving.

Denying the validity of scientific studies about the problem, in favor of "Well, I see _____ in the air at MY house" and other anecdotal observations, is much more damaging to working toward a collective solution than the acknowledgment that things HAVE improved in the last 15-20 years, even as we recognize that we have a long way to go.

[dcisive]

I'm sorry Zionide but you DON"T have to be a scientist to see with your own eyes what you KNOW without being told the scientific facts. Just wait till every competent reporting organization this winter dubs us some of the worst air in the country (worse than L.A by quite a margin). Argue all you want about the scientific facts as I'm pretty tired of hearing all other obvious evidence referred to as "anecdotal" and not mattering because a scientific reporting "agency" had to say this or that about it. As for the effects of Rio Tinto's antics say what you will. It's REAL and it's THERE. Unless of course you have no nose nor eyes, then I suppose you could ignore it. So enjoy your dissertation and all of it's valid evidence. I'll stick with the obvious as well

[Bobbyt801]

Are any of you from Los Angeles? My family and I were thinking of relocating to SLC but were quite concerned with the air quality during inversion, especially since my mother and I have asthma. Would you say that the air during inversion in SLC is like any typical day in Los Angeles?

[Vegas-to-?]

Bobby, I had asthma pretty bad when I was much younger, pretty much grown out of it now for the most part. I'm planning on moving somewhere in Utah County, but I also plan on investing in whatever it takes to clean the air inside my house so when these inversions start happening, at least my home will be safer. Did you hear about this?

New Study Shows Long-Lasting Treatment for Asthma Sufferers | Video - ABC News

[kletter1mann]

Originally Posted by Zionide

Denying the validity of scientific studies about the problem, in favor of "Well, I see _____ in the air at MY house" and other anecdotal observations, is much more damaging to working toward a collective solution than the acknowledgment that things HAVE improved in the last 15-20 years, even as we recognize that we have a long way to go.

This is a very tough issue to overcome. It's what allows the climate deniers and talk radio idiots to operate and spout off about the warming "hoax" every time it snows. The general public has no idea about science, the scientific method, peer studies, statistics or any of that. And doesn't want to, especially when it seems to contradict personal observation. [disclosure: I was an R&D chemist for most of my career.]