5 New Year Resolutions For Better Breathing In 2019

Written in partnership with UCAIR.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – If you’ve lived through a winter or two in Utah, you’ve probably heard the term “inversion” used to describe our weather. While none of us can control when an inversion will come or go, we can control the emissions we release into the air.

According to the UCAIR statewide clean air partnership, over 50 percent of the pollutants trapped during our winter inversion is caused by passenger vehicles. Not only does that mean unpleasant mountain views, but leads to severe health issues for many of our family members or neighbors.

Here are FIVE goals you can set as New Year resolutions to help improve the air quality along the Wasatch Front, and the air we all breathe.

1. Take the bus

Planning to hit the slopes this weekend? Instead of driving, try taking UTA’s ski bus. Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride up the canyon – all while helping to promote healthier air by taking public transportation.

With every person who takes public transportation rather than driving a vehicle, the amount of pollutants released into the air drops.

2. Ride with a friend

Did you know that carpooling is a great way to save money and reduce your emissions? Plan to carpool with coworkers or friends at least once a week. Riding together just once a month – or even just once – will reduce pollutants released into the air.

3. Limit the number of trips during cold weather

Every time you start your car after it sits for a long period of time, you’re having a significant impact on the air quality. Limit your number of cold starts this winter in order to reduce the amount of harmful emissions released.

Combining trips out not only helps the air quality, it can reduce the amount of gas you use with multiple trips.

4. Take the “Clear the Air Challenge”

Integrate TravelWise ideas from the Utah Department of Transportation into your daily and weekly routines. UDOT says if you rethink your trips, you can save gas, time, and reduce the emissions from your vehicle.

The Utah Division of Air Quality says, “If all drivers living along the Wasatch Front were to park their cars just one day per week, vehicle emissions would be reduced by 6,500 tons per year.”

Participants who take up the challenge can log their reduced trips and miles, and watch as CO2 is reduced.

The challenge starts February 1. To learn more, visit cleartheairchallenge.org or travelwise.utah.gov.

5. Reduce your idle time

There are times when your vehicle doesn’t need to be running, and may just sit and idle, pushing more emissions into the air.

During the winter months, unnecessary idling increases, pushing more pollutants into the air. It’s not just the idling while waiting for your car to warm up.

Often parents sit in their cars while waiting for their children to be released from school. With all those vehicles exhausting fumes in the same place, it can be extremely dangerous to children’s health.

Turning off your vehicle can help reduce the risk of children developing severe health problems such as asthma.

A group of young scientists at Geneva Elementary School in Orem recently discovered a sure-fire way to reduce emissions in their parent pick-up line: post a sign asking people to stop.

That simple reminder reduced idling time from 4 to 5 minutes – or as many as 14 to 15 minutes in some cases – to almost zero.

Create your own reminder to turn off the vehicle.

Change your perception about bad air

UCAIR executive director Thom Carter recently appeared on KSL Sunday Edition to dispel some of the myths about the impact we individually have on the quality of air we breathe.