Get smart on air quality

On May 1, the American Lung Association released its "State of the Air: 2008" report awarding Logan, Salt Lake City and Provo with "F's" for short-term air quality. According to the report, these Utah communities (including their surrounding areas) rank among the dozen worst cities for spikes in air pollution. Who is to blame? We are. We're way too dependent on fossil-fuel vehicles. We get most of our power from dirty, harmful, coal-burning power plants. Equally disturbing, we continue to elect community, state and national leaders who fail to adequately protect the air and our health. Until we get smart, we will continue to fail as the "good stewards of the earth" we are charged to be.

James Westwater

chairman

Utah Valley Sierra Forum