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Chad Denison
Brown
ENGL- 2010-Sp15BOWN
23 March 2015
Dr. Clean Air
As I looked around the comfortable office in which we were sitting, I grasped that the
man seated across from me was a man who valued his family. His office was littered with
pictures and family mementos. He had a genuine smile and greeted me affably. I had called
ahead to let him know that I was going to be late. He let me off the hook with a good natured
laugh that let me know he has had his own share of tardy calls. He was an older gentleman who
was in good shape and very happy. I could tell he loves what he does and takes pride in his work.
When he agreed to help me with this interview he had asked that I dont call him by
name, though he acknowledged that with some digging anyone could find out his identity.
However in the interest of public opinion he asked to remain anonymous and will be here in
referred to as Dr. Clean Air. The aforementioned name fits the humorous atmosphere in which
he directs his daily life.
Dr. Clean Air has an MD from the U of U and has worked as a primary care physician in
Northern Utah for 23 years. He has also been involved in various community organizations. Boy
scouts of America, working with refugees in cache valley, and mentoring future medical students
are a few of the numerous activities he has on the side. The major one that interested me was his
involvement in the Clean Air Action team, which is a branch of Envision Utah. Which can be
described as; an organized effort of a group of movers and shakers in the state of Utah dedicated

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to prepare a broadly supported vision

and recommendations that will improve
Utahs air quality in the short, medium,
and long term (Envision Utah).
That is how I found him. I was
searching online for someone that would
tell me the truth about what is going on in
the air. Dr. Clean Air was more than happy to answer my questions and point me in the right
direction to get the information I needed.
The Role of Asthma :
When asked about the frequency of asthma patients that he saw in his time as a primary
care doctor he responded, Over the years the number of patients has increased dramatically.
Though the cause cant be pinned down primarily to inversion and air pollution it certainly
hasnt helped (Dr. Clean Air). He didnt strike me as a sensationalist and he definitely didnt
think that asthma was remotely one of the worse problems our air quality brings us.
I asked about the number of kids that outgrow their asthma in his practice. Kids may
become asymptomatic, but the chronic stuff in their lungs probably doesnt go away. More
likely it is that as a child gets bigger, so do the airways in his lungs. Inflammation of airways,
could go on unnoticed (Dr. Clean Air.) so in all reality Asthma isnt the only problem that we
should be worried about. The worst day if in version for asthmatics in Utah is better than a
mediocre day in Chicago or New York. (Grow)

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Public Perceptions:
In his involvement with the Clean
Air Action Team he had helped with a few
studies on what the public perceived as the
threat of air pollution. One study concluded
that the people perceive the pollution to be
coming from mostly outside sources and not
themselves. So to remedy this situation Dr.
Clean Air and his companions in the Clean Air action Team started a public awareness
campaign. It was all over YouTube and public T.V in 2013.
What can we do?
So alas, came the question, therefore what? What are we to do about it? I asked Dr. Clean
air what he had hoped the public would do after they were aware of the problem. He directed me
to this press release from 2012 :
Fund replacement of wood stoves in those homes that have no other heat source, at an
estimated price tag of less than $2 million, and phase out the sole source heating
exemption. Increase enforcement on no burn days. Impose no burn restrictions as
soon as an inversion starts to buildessentially immediately after a storm ends.
Whatever is put in the air before pollution reaches the current trigger stays in the air
throughout the inversion. Increase public education efforts regarding the harms of
burning wood or coal. (Sowards 3).

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These ore the top things that he thinks that the state senate can do right now to help clean
the air. Dr. Clean Air has shown that no matter what your attitude on life, be it clownish
and giddy, laid back, or up tight and high strung, you can always do more for the air.

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Works Cited
Envision Utah. Clean Air Action Team. Clean Air Action Team Recommends Immediate Action to
Bring Cleaner Cars and Fuel to Utah and Eliminate Wood Burning. Envision Utah - Air Quality.
Envision Utah, 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 12 Mar. 2015.
Grow, Robert. Behavioral Research on Air Quality. Salt Lake City: Envision Utah, Feb. 2014. PDF.
"Interview with Dr. Clean Air." Personal Interview. 4 Mar. 2015.
Sowards, Glade. Tier 3 Vehicle Emission and Fuel Standards. Salt Lake City: DAQ Mobile Source and
Transportation Section, 11 Dec. 2013. PDF.
Utah Air Quality Quantitative Findings. Salt Lake City: Heart and Mind Strategies, 25 Sept. 2013.
PDF.