What is the Clear the Air Challenge?
The Clear the Air Challenge, issued by Governor Herbert, Mayor McArthur, Mayor Neilson, Mayor Hirschi and other community leaders, is a month long competition beginning August 1st that gives you the chance to reduce your vehicle emissions by choosing alternatives to driving along. By driving less, you are improving environmental conditions, health and quality of life in Southern Utah. See how many pounds of emissions, gallons of gas and dollars we can save by using options like trip chaining errands, carpooling, vanpooling, telecommuting, biking, and public transportation! Register at ClearTheAirChallenge.org to make your commitment.
Quick Facts/ Tips
- For every two minutes a car is idling, it uses approximately the same amount of fuel it takes to go about one mile.
- Over the past three Challenges, participants have saved over 3.6 million miles and 6.2 million pounds of emissions.
- Over 50% of our air pollution comes from motor vehicles. By simply reducing vehicle trips, we can help protect our health, our environment and our quality of life.
- It is recommended that if you’re going to be parked for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine. After about 10 seconds, you waste more money running the engine than restarting it.
- Prolonged exposure to low levels of ozone can reduce a healthy adult's lung function by 15 to 20%.
- For every 10 miles per hour you floor it, you lose as much as 15% in fuel economy.
- The average person drives about 3,000 miles to and from work every year. Not driving just one day a week can reduce CO2 emissions by about 8 pounds per week, which adds up to about 400 pounds of CO2 per year. The less you drive, the more you’ll save.
- Avoid carrying heavy items in your car. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk reduces a typical car's fuel economy by 1-2%.
DATE: July 19, 2012
CONTACT: Contact: Robin Erickson (435) 634-4361
or Emily Siegel (435) 634-4359
Email: Robin.Erickson@utahcleancities.org
or emily.siegel@utahcleancities.org
UTAH CLEAN CITIES COALITION
ISSUES THE 2012 CLEAR THE AIR CHALLENGE
"Drive Down Your Miles" Competition Beginning August 1st-31st 2012
ST. GEORGE, UT –Utah Clean Cities Coalition is issuing a Challenge to tackle the pressing
issue of air pollution for cleaner, more breathable air in Utah. This August, Governor Herbert,
Washington City Mayor Ken Neilson, City of St. George Mayor Daniel McArthur, Hurricane
Mayor Tom Hirschi and other community leaders are challenging residents to consider how
their transportation habits impact their environment. In addition to driving less and combining
errands into one car trip, alternative means of transportation should also be utilized.
"We should all step up, join together and take on the challenge in reducing the harmful effects
that are impacting our air quality,” says Mayor Daniel McArthur. "Small steps such as limiting
our vehicle idling, biking, carpooling and riding the bus can lend a hand to improving and
sustaining the air we breathe and the blue skies that we all enjoy.”
Utah is particularly threatened by air pollution because when summer air is hot and still, vehicle
pollutants become trapped in the valley air in increasingly high concentrations. Over 50% of
Utah’s air pollution comes from the use of motor vehicles. Driving cars less is what the
Challenge is all about. "We need to do everything we can that’s sensible in order to protect our
air and keep people healthy,” says Mayor Tom Hirschi. Friends, family, co-workers, and
businesses, will go head to head competing to eliminate single occupant vehicle trips, reduce
mileage, and ultimately reduce pollution emissions.
"I am excited that this event will bring our community together to improve our air quality and cut
down emissions. This is an opportunity for people to see that their small part becomes part of a
bigger change,” says Mayor Ken Neilson.
During the Clear the Air Challenge, participants will log how many trips and miles of driving
they have saved each week. The goal is to eliminate 300,000 trips, save 2 million miles, and
reduce 1.7 million pounds of emissions. This challenge is open to all travelers throughout Utah
with the hope that our communities will work together to help each other improve the air we
breathe.
Southern Utah Kickoff Press Conference:
Date: Monday, July 30th - 9 a.m.
Location: 540 Red Hills Pkwy, St. George, UT
(Parking lot across from Washington County Water Conservancy District Building)
Attendees: Mayor McArthur, Mayor Neilson, Mayor Hirschi, Mayor Rosenberg, Mayor Hart, SW
Public Health Dept., Scott Hirschi (WCEDC), Air Quality Task Force, concerned citizens
The Clear the Air Challenge begins August 1st, 2012. To sign up go to:
http://www.ClearTheAirChallenge.org/
About Utah Clean Cities Coalition
Utah Clean Cities Coalition (UCCC) is one of the nearly 100 Coalitions that are part of the U.S.
Department of Energy's Clean Cities Initiative, working to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, develop
regional economic opportunities, and improve air quality. As a non-profit organization, UCCC provides
tools and resources for voluntary, community based programs to reduce consumption of petroleum-based
fuels. Through our stakeholder partnerships, UCCC serves as a resource to promote and create alternative
fuels, stations, and vehicles, image description as well as to promote clean strategies such as Idle Free Utah
and the Clear the Air Challenge. UCCC has dual locations in Salt Lake City and St. George, which serve
the entire state. For more information, contact Robin Erickson, Executive Director, at (435) 634- 4361 or
Robin.Erickson@utahcleancities.org
About the Clear the Air Challenge
The 2012 Clear the Air Challenge is a Salt Lake Solutions project created by a Partners Team made up of
government entities already working on air quality issues, as well as business, faith, education and other
community groups interested in motivating behavior changes to improve Utah’s air quality. For questions
contact Kate Lohnes, Salt Lake City Division of Sustainability, at (801) 535-7755 or
kate.lohnes@slcgov.com
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Additional Resources
Registration (PDF)
Fact Sheet (PDF)
Tip Sheet (PDF)
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2012 CLEAR THE AIR CHALLENGE 
