COLUMN: Cache air is a big problem
Summers in Cache Valley are pretty close to idyllic. Once the heavy winter snows give way, our valley becomes a little pocket of sun-drenched heaven – perfect for swimming, cycling, hiking and any number of other outdoor recreational activities. Some of my very favorite memories of Cache Valley summers involve waking up at the crack of dawn to cycle across the valley in the clean, crisp, clear morning air.
Some of my favorite memories of Cache Valley winters also involve waking up at an unholy hour – this time to head up to Beaver Mountain for a day of playing in the powder – but there’s one big difference; all too often, I stepped out my door on those winter mornings to find myself choking on the toxic sludge of pollutant-laden inversion air.
Inversions happen with particular frequency here because of our unique geography. Combine a narrow valley with steep mountains on almost every side with the biting cold of winter air and a persistent snow cover and you have a recipe for a nasty inversion. The inversion layer acts as a lid, pressuring frigid air downward and keeping airborne toxins from being swept out by natural air flows. In essence, our valley becomes the perfect vat for fermenting a wicked brew of pollution.
Our yearly bouts with winter inversions have become progressively more impressive, to the point where Cache Valley is often ranked as having the worst air – not just in the state, mind you – in the nation. Northern Utah’s winter air can regularly compete with the pea soup found in the San Joaquin Valley, even though our population size and density is drastically less than that of the California seaboard.
Part of the problem contributing to our dilemma is the extent of certain agricultural operations in the valley (read: Cache Valley is home to a great many methane-belching cows). But the lion’s share of the blame falls squarely on human shoulders, as automotive emissions are the responsible for most of the pollutants that clog our wintertime breathing. The rising number of automobiles in operation during the winter – a figure commensurate with the growing valley population – is directly related to the increasing severity of inversions.
Requiring regular and rigorous emissions testing for vehicles is an important part of combatting the war against filthy air, but most experts agree this alone simply won’t suffice. A big part of the answer is frankly something most valley residents don’t want to hear – we have got to drastically reduce automotive usage during the winter months. Sure, it will be a sacrifice; but it will be a shared sacrifice, with immense shared benefits as our winter air again becomes pristine.
The reality is that the longer we put off facing and fighting our own toxic self-immolation, the more drastic the damage will be that is done, and the more difficult it will become to implement the lasting changes necessary to permanently secure the supernal air quality that presently makes Cache Valley such a paradise during half the year.
– Briana is a senior majoring in political science and president of the USU Democrats. She is an avid road cyclist and a 2013 Truman Scholar. Comments can be sent to Briana at b.bowen@aggiemail.usu.edu.