Where do we go from here...?

Both of these images were created in a span of thirty seconds, from the same spot, the first looking east, the second west. Therein lies one of the greatest challenges and dichotomies of living in the Salt Lake Valley. High pressure systems invert the valley temperatures, trapping cold air and all of the accumulating pollution against the valley floor. Meanwhile, minutes away in the heart of the Wasatch Range, the air is much warmer, clearer and healthier. Over the past week, the Salt Lake Valley has consistently had the worst air quality in the US. In fact, a group of physicians concerned about the effects of air pollution on general health have predicted that children growing up in the Salt Lake Valley will never be able to compete at an Olympic level in cardiovascular sports due to irreversible lung damage. Indeed, on days like today, being outside for any appreciable amount of time is comparable to smoking a pack of cigarettes. It is easy to forget the challenge of managing the impacts of 1.5 million people when hiking, skiing and climbing in the relative isolation of the Wasatch. But inversions are a stark reminder that the current path is not sustainable for Salt Lake Valley residents - both native and exotic.

The questions that remain are clear - Where do we go from here? And what will it take to motivate action on a large enough scale?

For more information on organizations working to educate and enact reform, visit:

Utah Moms for Clean Air

Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment

Visit the gallery below for more images of an inverted Salt Lake Valley

inverted IMAGES