In the summer of 1982 I was a young mountaineer cutting my teeth on the steep slopes and hard rock of the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. Sitting atop Hesperus Mountain (13,232 ft.), I would gaze southward towards the four corners of New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado in awe of the crystal clear blue skies that seemed to stretch out for well over a hundred miles. Breathing the rarefied air felt like the taste of pristine rocky mountain spring water. After sunset, the night sky was brilliantly lit with innumerable pulsating stars that appeared so close I thought I could reach out and feel the energy from their solar flares...
By 1990, the haze from particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides emitted into the atmosphere from human activity had caused the sky on an increasing number of days to appear diluted with dirty dishwater. Corresponding with the increase of these human-induced air pollutants emitted into the atmosphere there was also an alarming surge in respiratory-related health problems in the region, including an increase in the number asthma cases among children and premature deaths among adults...
The unique topography of the Telluride Valley explains why fine particulate matter emitted into the atmosphere in that area is significantly more relevant than the same substances emitted into a city located on an open plain or along a coastline. To illustrate the point, think of the horseshoe-shaped Telluride valley as similar to a washbasin with high walls...But there is a silver lining. Telluride has excelled in taking action to ensure a healthy environment, especially when we compare the town to the majority of communities in the U.S. The key to reducing fine particulate matter in Telluride is simple: leave cars parked at home or in the public lots at the edge of town. Telluride is a great place to walk. Or take advantage of our free public transportation system whether it is the Galloping Goose bus or gondola. ~ Written on May 11, 2012 by Billy Mason for TIO
~ Faith
Poor Air Quality in the San Juan Basin
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