Breathing Suspect Air in the West

As the plane descended yesterday into Salt Lake City, a palpable level of "haze" was evident outside the window. Two of my students who have been studying ozone depletion lately noticed the brown cloud immediately. Wait a minute...wasn't this the wide-open spaces of the American West where the air is clear and people are free? Apparently not. The people are free, but the air is decidedly NOT clear. A scene reminiscent of what we'd seen of Mexico City where the surrounding mountains prohibited the smog from leaving; no wind or moving air could get past the mountains to blow the smog away. And so it is in SLC. In the higher elevations, clear skies prevail, but in the valley segments, a brown haze predominates. I could almost feel the particulates surrounding me...almost.
This was an environmental lesson that really came home to these students. One has claimed that he will make note of this during the next class. Wow! Education in the real world is gratifying. Unfortunately, discovering that air isn't even clean in the West is sobering, indeed.
I did spend more than an hour walking outside today and felt no ill effects,though the sun felt much hotter than I thought it should. I regretted the fact that I'd brought sunscreen for the Florida part of the trip but did not use it today. Many residents had that dried-out, leathery look that reminded me not to forget the sunscreen next time.
All in all, the trip thus far has been an environmental lesson not to forget.
It's a good thing the basketball happens indoors!