Care about the air

Video and story by Michael Eggert

The quality of the air we breathe is on most people’s minds now that the winter inversion is here. But some people like Noah Miterko, Grassroots organizer at HEAL Utah, spend all year on the issue. His work has him “combatting a lack of political will to attack big issues like air pollution in the valley, and our state’s reliance on fossil fuels and aversion to renewable energy.”

Noah helps the people who care about these issues reach out to their elected representatives so that they know that their constituents are concerned about issues like air quality and renewable energy.

But there are things we can all do on an individual level to improve our air quality.

“Be aware of how you’re traveling,” Noah said. “Try to bike. If you have to drive, use public transportation or carpool.” Noah also encourages us to “tripchain,” which is where you do all your errands on one trip instead of taking separate, unnecessary trips.

If you care about the air, Noah encourages you to get involved with your local lawmakers. “Reach out to your representative, to your city council. Let them know that’s really important to you. That can be important to them because hearing from their constituents really influences how they go about policy making.”