Look out your window. If you are looking out on the Utah Valley, the odds are that you see a sickening brown cloud hovering in the sky. We all know what it is — pollution. But if you’re anything like me you’ve heard a lot about it but not done much about it. There is a reason why we’ve heard so much. Provo, the home of our campus, is actually the 11th most polluted city in the nation. This pollution, coming mostly from the cars you and I drive, has adverse effects on the quality of life and health of each one of us. The time has come to make a change. Together we, as a university, can make big change in this community and the environment in which we all live.
But radical change is not the answer. It sounds nice, but it’s impractical. The most sustainable and lasting change is gradual change. So let’s think big but start small. To make a difference we don’t all need to go out and buy a Prius or a Vespa. Let’s simply walk to school one day a week or carpool with a friend. Let’s combine trips. If we all make these small choices we will begin to see, and feel, the difference. We will all be able to enjoy the cleaner and safer air. You or I cannot do much on our own. But together we can start something that just might make a big difference.
Andrew Rees
Kaysville
