How you can help in the Clear the Air Challenge

SALT LAKE CITY — Improving Utah’s air quality is something everyone can agree with, and you can help fight against pollution with Utah’s Clear the Air Challenge.

The challenge was started to give Utah drivers a chance to reduce vehicle emissions using alternative methods of transportation, driving less and driving smarter. 

Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber told Inside Sources how the state of Utah’s air quality has improved.

“Nothing is more shared than the air that we breathe, and so it is something that we all need to be concerned about.”

Clear the Air Challenge

In the past, the challenge happened during the winter months, to help with inversion. The Clear the Air Challenge organization recently changed it to summer months to highlight the importance of clean air all year round.

“We switched it to the summertime because we wanted to make the point that even though a day like today with beautiful blue sky. We still have air challenges, especially in the summer from the summer ozone,” Miller explained.

The Clear the Air Challenge began on July 1. The goal for this month is to eliminate 100,000 trips, save 2 million miles and reduce 375 tons of CO2.

The organization partnered with businesses and employees around the state to achieve this goal.

“That’s a powerful partnership. When you take employers and employees, that partnership working together can get some amazing things done in our community.”

Miller explained some of the ways the community can help meet the goals of the Clear the Air Challenge.

• Trip chaining – Being more thoughtful and intentional about your daily drive. Try to avoid going to the store a few times a day because you forgot something, and try to get all the errands in one run.
• Carpooling – Not only helps reduce pollution, it helps with traffic and allows you to use the carpool lane.
• Public transportation – Whenever possible, use public transportation to move around. 
• Walk or bike – Take advantage of some of the great weather Utah’s been having by walking or using your bike.
• Work from home – On days with bad weather, and red air levels, stay home and work remotely if you can.

Miller said he hopes by taking this challenge, it will help break bad habits and create new good ones.

“Try to break some old habits one month out of the year, and we believe that if you’ll make that effort, then you’ll find, oh, that actually was really helpful. I preferred this method of getting to work, and so now that’s something you can do throughout the year.”

To learn more and participate in the challenge, you can go to www.cleartheairchallenge.org.

Related:

• Firework pollution isn’t as serious as it seems
• Even safe levels of air pollution can harm health, especially kids, study finds
• Relief from inversion and poor air quality may be in Utah’s near future