Jonathan Higginbotham

Atmospheric Sciences
04/14/2020
Utah Air Pollution: GHG
Air pollution concerns have been present with Utah for many decades, and probably for many
decades to come. Currently, in the valley we have a serious issue surrounding GHG emissions that are
trapped within the Salt Lake Valley due to our unique landscape. Public health issues arise from many
sources, many respiratory issues can be traced back to poor air quality. “Air pollution is now the biggest
environmental risk for early death, responsible for as many as 5 million premature deaths each year
from heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and respiratory diseases. That’s more than the deaths from AIDS,
tuberculosis and malaria combined.” (Environmental Defense) Air pollution has been linked to cause
heart attacks, strokes, asthma, and bronchitis, as well as premature death from heart ailments, lung
disease, cancer and many other adverse health effects. Cities are concentrated sources of GHG
emissions to the atmosphere. At the basic level, the GHG emissions in cities can be traced to many
different sources (i.e. fossil fuels, CO2 etc) but the one currently extremely feasible feat to reverse
damage from is methane gas sources.

Methane, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, is approximately 28 times more

effective than carbon dioxide at trapping infrared radiation because it can absorb heat more effectively
than CO2. This heat retention, as we have learned over the duration of our course, can lead to an
imbalance within the Earth’s atmospheric conditions. The duration of time that methane spends in the
atmosphere is greatly less that of CO2, approximately 9 years.

Earth Systems Research Laboratories estimated that over 60 percent of all methane in the
atmosphere is currently due to anthropocentric activities (fossil fuels, transportation, landfills, livestock).
In an article written by ESRL they can be quoted depicting the severity of our actions relating to methane
emissions into the atmosphere.

“Methane concentrations have been increasing steadily for the past 200 years, and despite a decline
from 1983-2006, it increased again in 2007.Over this time period, atmospheric methane concentrations
 Jonathan Higginbotham
Atmospheric Sciences
04/14/2020
have more than doubled. As with CO2, human activity is increasing the CH4 concentration faster than
natural sinks can offset it. Future trends are particularly difficult to anticipate, partly due to an
incomplete understanding of the climate feedbacks related to CH4 emissions. It is also difficult to predict
how, as human populations grow, possible changes in livestock raising, rice cultivation, and energy
utilization will influence CH4 emissions”(ESRL)

A journal from the Center for Climate Strategies shows a very bleak look into our states current
GHG emissions trends. According to the CCS Utahans are currently emitting an astronomical amount of
69 MMt’s (Million Metric Tons) of GHGs into the atmosphere, trends showing Utah GHG emissions rising
faster than the national average. The CCS can be quoted saying “Utah’s gross GHG emissions increased
40% from 1990 to 2005, while national emissions rose by only 16% during this period.”

So, what can Utahans do as far as helping reduce methane gas from the surrounding
atmosphere? We should look in our own backyards for the answer to how we as individuals can help
easily reduce the current GHG levels. Methane is often generated in landfills as organic waste
decomposes under anaerobic environments. The Trans-Jordan Landfill, situated within the valley, has
implemented an interesting way to help utilize the methane gas for good rather than let it emit into the
atmosphere causing harm to the general public. The landfills are required to monitor GHGs and are
encouraged to flare it (set it on fire) or use what they call a “Methane Capture System”. But Trans-
Jordan Landfill decided to use their methane emissions as an energy source that brings power to over
3,000 homes!

The EPA reports that using recycled materials reduces energy and emissions, even when
accounting for the transportation of materials. Using recycled glass and certain plastics instead of virgin
materials can reduce environmental impacts more than 50 percent. Recycled paper and aluminum
 Jonathan Higginbotham
Atmospheric Sciences
04/14/2020
reduce environmental impacts between 70-85 percent versus using raw materials. (Green America) So,
when deciding on how an individual household can help reduce GHGs in Utah, one can simply
implement the three R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and prevent methane-generating items from going to
the landfill. By adding energy efficient bulbs, appliances, insulation into our homes we can reduce the
energy consumption of our cities.

Recycling has been proven to help lower the emission rates of methane by simply allowing
companies to not spend as much energy repurposing the used material into new items. Approximately
40-45% of food across America is wasted, the US Department of Agriculture says a great alternative to
throwing away green waste is to compost it into topsoil. Also, by starting a household composting barrel
we can reduce the amount of green waste sent to our landfills to breakdown releasing methane gas.
Implementing a zero-waste policy in your home could drastically reduce the amount of food waste
ending up in the landfills.

Works Cited
 Jonathan Higginbotham
Atmospheric Sciences
04/14/2020

“Health Impacts of Air Pollution.” Environmental Defense Fund, www.edf.org/health/health-impacts-air-

pollution.

Health, Deparment of. “Complete Health Indicator Report of Climate Change: Greenhouse Gases.” IBIS,
ibis.health.utah.gov/ibisph-view/indicator/complete_profile/CliChaGreGas.html.

“Landfills Have a Huge Greenhouse Gas Problem. Here's What We Can Do about It.” Ensia,
ensia.com/features/methane-landfills/.

Lin, John C., et al. “CO2and Carbon Emissions from Cities: Linkages to Air Quality, Socioeconomic
Activity, and Stakeholders in the Salt Lake City Urban Area.” Bulletin of the American
Meteorological Society, vol. 99, no. 11, 2018, pp. 2325–2339., doi:10.1175/bams-d-17-0037.1.

“NOAA Earth System Research Laboratories.” NOAA Earth System Research Laboratories,
www.esrl.noaa.gov/.

“Overview of Greenhouse Gases.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 16 Mar. 2020,

www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases.

Roe, Stephen, et al. “Utah Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Reference Case Projections, 1990-2020 .”
2007, doi:file:///C:/Users/Jonathan%20H/Downloads/O25F18228.pdf.

Submitted by skarimi on November 15. “Does Recycling Help the Climate?” Green America,
www.greenamerica.org/blog/does-recycling-help-climate-crisis.

“Talking Trash at DEQ.” Utah Department of Environmental Quality, 22 Nov. 2019,

deq.utah.gov/communication/news/talking-trash-deq.