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SALT LAKE CITY — Undeterred by snow, hundreds rallied at the state Capitol on Saturday calling for lawmakers to make "no excuses" when it comes to clearing Utah's air.
Coming in between the inauguration of President Donald Trump on Friday and the kickoff of the Utah legislative session on Monday, speakers drew resounding cheers as they cried for the many clean air proposals to come to Capitol Hill to finally be made law.
Among the promised bills for this legislative session, speakers Saturday urged support for extending state tax credits for electric vehicles, expanding diesel emissions testing requirements to more counties along the Wasatch Front, a push for clean-running school buses and funding for clean air programs.
More than 500 people came to the state Capitol for the event hosted by Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, HEAL Utah, Mormon Environmental Stewardship Alliance, Utah Rivers Council, Utah Moms for Clean Air and the Sierra Club. However, attendance appeared to be dampened by snowy roads, transit delays and confusion online over whether the rally had been cancelled.
Cherise Udell, from Utah Moms for Clean Air, took the podium surrounded by a group of children as she praised those who braved the storm Saturday.
Udell acknowledged that clean air initiatives come at a cost, but if nothing is done to fight pollution and inversion in the state, it will be children like those standing with her who would pay the price instead.
"All air should be life giving," Udell said. "The only thing between us and that good air, that clean air, is political will and courage."
If not for the storm, Udell said she believes "thousands more" would have been on hand for the event.
Many speakers praised ralliers who came to the event with their children and families.
Among the crowd, Jeff and Courtney Morton stood with their 5-year-old twins, Amelia and Cole. The family sported brightly colored gaiters on their necks, complete with a filtration system to help them breathe easier while staying warm.
The Mortons, who already had a business selling gaiters through their company, JaMo Threads, developed the air pollution masks last year after their son Cole developed breathing problems during a smoggy stretch last winter.
"He was coughing really hard and gasping for breath. I could tell it was because of the inversion," Jeff Morton said. "He can't continue to go through his life like this, it's hard for us."
A native of the Salt Lake Valley, Courtney Morton believes there are more people and more pollution in the area than ever before. She hopes that by involving her children in the campaign for clean air, they will learn about their own potential to improve the world around them.
"We want to show them that if we we all work together and come together in a venue like this, we really can make a difference," she said. "Sometimes, even if you're just a small little person, you can be heard and seen and make a difference."
A portion of sales from the gaiters will go toward HEAL Utah and other groups involved in Saturday's rally, the Mortons said. But eventually, they'd like to stop selling them.
"We want it to go away," Jeff Morton said of Utah's pollution. "We want to make cool outdoor gear, but there's a need, and so because there's a need, we'll make them and people will benefit from them, and we can give money to these groups that are helping to reduce our pollution levels."
