Going easy on the real culprit
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aybe it's just us, but the battle against the Wasatch Front's winter temperature-inversion problems is misguided. For the most part, we're targeting fireplaces, but we should be focusing on automobile exhaust.
The winter haze in these parts has been around since long before the arrival of white settlers. According to a recent report by The Associated Press, American Indians who lived here called it the "valley of the big smokes" -- because high pressure and the warm air aloft in the atmosphere would hold fog and smoke close to the ground; just like today, without windy conditions, the surrounding mountain ranges would not let the smog escape.
Because of health concerns related to the winter smog, and especially the fine particulate matter (100 times smaller than the width of a human hair) suspended in the air -- that microscopic material can go deep into the lungs of humans and increase the risk for various respiratory and heart problems -- Utahns have been living with green- yellow- red-burn days for many years.
On green and yellow days, there are no restrictions on fireplace burning. But on red days, unless you have an EPA-approved clean-burning fireplace or stove, you may be fined for building a fire.
On Monday, the federal government is tightening the rules even more. Now the burn restrictions will be triggered if there are 35 micrograms of fine particulates in the air. The old standard was 65 micrograms. This means we're likely to see many more no-burn days in Utah.
And while that's all well and good to say "no" to burning on days when the pollution is thick, why are we stopping at fireplaces and wood-burning stoves? If it's really that dangerous -- a new Brigham Young university/LDS Hospital study released last week says exposure to air pollution increases the chances of heart attack in people with blocked arteries -- why aren't we targeting the main offenders in this scenario: gasoline- and diesel-burning engines in automobiles and trucks?
The short answer: economics. People have to get to work, goods must be able to flow on the highways and surface streets, and construction must continue equal to the demand. We point the finger at fireplaces because we can't get away with anything else.
The truth, however, is that we can do more. The state and/or individual counties should be encouraging people to take public transit or carpool. Businesses that don't need to have their vehicles out on the road should leave them parked. Telecommuting should be an option for employees.
As the population along the Wasatch Front continues to grow, the "valley of the big smokes" will continue to get smokier -- and deadlier -- unless we remove the culprit most responsible for the problem.
