This is Utah, Where We Like to Chew our Air

Right now, Utah has the worst air in the country. Usually you'd expect this type of smog in the summer. Not here. This is the INVERSION.According to KSL.com "Under an inversion, the normal vertical temperature gradient is inverted such that the air is colder near the surface of the Earth. The air becomes stiller, hence the air becomes murky because dust and pollutants are no longer lifted from the surface. This can become a problem in cities where many pollutants exist. Here the mountains, together with the inversion, bottle-caps the air in the city."

This isn't a new thing. Apparently it's been happening for years and years, even before the valley was inhabited. So why would the Pioneers settle here? They were probably tricked by the fact this is one of the most beautiful places on earth 9 months out of 12. Those suckers.Essentially, it's gross. These pictures were taken from the roof of my building in downtown Salt Lake. The only reason you can even see the mountains is because the sun barely came up. It gets worse throughout the day.

And you can notice a difference. Personally, I think you can smell, even taste the pollution. Tom thinks it's all in my head because I work in news and we do "Red Air Day" stories all the time. I've been getting headaches almost everyday too. I feel great in the morning, but by late afternoon, I'm fighting a headache. (It's either the air, or I think I'm getting a cavity. Do cavities give you headaches?)

On Red Air Days, people are told to drive less, don't exercise outside, and unfortunately, school recess gets canceled. But do people actually change the way they live on Red Air Days? Nope! Heaven forbid people leave their cars at home and take public transportation. It's pure laziness if you ask me. But then again, I grew up in Canada, where we actually care about the environment. Oooooooo, burn!

You can watch more great video of the inversion here.