The Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors voted unanimously to support a business-driven goal of zero red air days.
The Zero Red Air Days Initiative seeks to be a united effort to take a stand on Utah’s poor air quality and work towards real solutions to address the problem.
Poor air quality affects economic development, quality of life, health and happiness for all Utahns, and requires everyone to do their part to help reduce emissions.
“Air quality in Utah has significantly improved over the past several decades. But as our current air quality shows, that simply is not good enough,” said Lane Beattie, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber. “This really is a call to action, and to be clear, an extremely ambitious goal. Because of our geography and population growth, there is no silver bullet to solving this problem. It’s going to take everyone’s commitment and action to eliminate red air days. And that’s why we’re asking citizens, businesses and elected officials to join us.”
No one wants to breathe unhealthy air. Beyond the health effects of poor air quality, red air days have a real impact Utah’s economy, from increased health care costs, to employee and corporate recruitment and retention. That’s why having a goal of Zero Red Air Days is critical to having a united effort among various agencies, organizations and concerned citizens to improve Utah’s air quality.
“Our air quality challenges won’t change overnight. That’s why when it comes to making a difference, the simplest of actions are often the most meaningful,” said Beattie. “As business leaders, we think there is a real need for public leadership on this issue and believe that a united effort is needed to make a measurable impact. I’m hopeful that every business, elected official and Utah family will work toward this goal.”
How Can Utahns Help? There are many ways Utahns can help keep our air clean by reducing their vehicle trips, riding transit, or teleworking on a yellow, orange and red air days. The Utah Clean Air Partnership (UCAIR) is a statewide clean air partnership created to make it easier for individuals, businesses and communities to make small changes to improve Utah’s air. Every small change adds to a collective bigger step toward better health, a better economy and better overall quality of life for all of us. Learn what actions you can take at: https://www.ucair.org/at-
How Can Businesses Help? The business community plays an important role in improving air quality. Businesses can collectively impact Utah’s future by participating in voluntary actions to reduce emissions and clear our air, including promoting TravelWise strategies for their employees. Learn what actions a business can take at: http://www.
How Can Elected Officials Help? Elected officials can take real actions that ensure government agencies are enabling their employers to take TravelWise strategies, improving funding for transit, promoting the adoption of more efficient and cleaner vehicles, incentivize for more energy efficient buildings and homes, and funding to promote research and awareness on the causes of poor air quality.
For more information visit: http://www.
