The air out there
There are no comments for this page [ Add Comment ]Sunday, April 8, 2007
It is time to face facts: The air out there is really bad. And it's a big health hazard for all of us.
That's a message a group of doctors want to make sure the public knows. As reported by the Standard-Examiner's Charles F. Trentelman, the doctors met with Gov. Huntsman to deliver the message.
The doctors, who all represent various specialties, see the effects of the record amounts of pollution in this state. They deal with patients whose lives are ended or are shortened as a result of the foul air.
What is occurring is chilling: According to anesthesiologist Dr. Brian Moench, of LDS Hospital, we Utahns are seeing their life expectancy cut as if we smoked a pack a day of cigarettes. And it's not just adults being affected. It's our children too.
The consequences are deadly:
l An increase in heart attack deaths for post-menopausal women
l Pollution as a cause of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, low birthweight and infant mortality
l Pollution causes inflammation in our arteries and makes us age prematurely
l "There are roughly 1,000 people who die from the consequences of air pollution every year along the Wasatch Front," says Moench.
l Even more suffer heart attacks and strokes due in part to the bad air.
So, what can we do to alleviate these health risks? The doctors have some sensible ideas that we hope will be considered by Utah's leaders.
l Stop the construction of four proposed coal-fired electricity generating plants in Utah. Encourage wind and solar power as an alternative.
l Make sure current coal-fired plants in Utah are retrofited with the most up-to-date pollution control technology, including ways to capture mercury.
l Make the highway speed limit 55 when air pollution exceeds EPA standards.
l And make mass transit along the Wasatch Front free via a state gasoline tax. The doctors hope that would double the usage of Utah mass transit.
We have other suggestions as well. We wonder why UTA does not have tiered pricing. Such pricing would increase incentives to use mass transit during peak times.
Another suggestion is for communities to provide bikes for individuals who prefer to cycle to work or other errands. Other communities have done this. The bikes are a particular color -- sometimes pink -- and can be used and dropped off at community bike racks.
As consumers, we need to start placing a higher buying emphasis on fuel-efficient cars. So far, in the United States, we don't.
There are steps being taken to fight air pollution. As reported by Trentelman, Ogden deserves credit. "A Sustainable Ogden committee is working up ways to cut greenhouse gases, promote alterantive transportation and keep you and me alive," writes Trentelman. Ogden is buying Blue Sky units from Rocky Mountain Power. As Trentelman explains, it is is noncoal-generated and reduces potential greenhouse gases.
There are others means to make a difference. Time magazine just posited 51 ways to slow global warming. They range from the most intricate -- building more skyscrapers -- to just turning off your computer.
To put it bluntly, we are breathing poison. And it's hurting the littlest among us and as much as it is the tallest. We must do all we can to keep the air healthier.
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