Utah Thrives (Podcast of Utah Foundation)

Utah Thrives – Moving Tier 3 Gasoline Closer

Written by: Dan Bammes

Gasoline refined to a government standard called Tier 3 holds promise for significant improvements in air quality for the Wasatch Front region. Local refineries, which supply almost all the gasoline used in Utah, are under a mandate to bring it to the market by 2020. State government is urging them to do it sooner and even offering large tax credits to help get the job done sooner. But one Utah refinery says the gasoline shipments … Continued

Utah Thrives — Better Air Quality Begins at Home

Written by: Dan Bammes

Efforts to improve Utah’s notorious winter air quality have focused on vehicles and industrial sources. But it turns out significant pollution comes from furnaces and water heaters in our homes. That problem has been getting some attention in the current legislative session. Efforts are underway to encourage the installation of new, cleaner water heaters in new construction. They emit far lower levels of nitrogen oxides, or NOx. The NOx fumes react in the air to … Continued

Utah Thrives — Proposals for Full-Day Kindergarten

Written by: Dan Bammes

The Utah Foundation Research Report Lessons from Our Neighbor: Learning from Colorado’s Educational Success pointed out much broader participation in full-day kindergarten in Colorado. In Utah, 13% of five-year olds attend full-day kindergarten. In Colorado, that number is 74%. Data from Colorado’s Department of Education show the boost kids get from participating in high-quality preschool and full-day kindergarten programs continues into high school. Here in Utah, there have been a number of steps toward implementing … Continued

Utah Thrives — Legislative Action on Air Quality

Written by: Dan Bammes

With the legislative session set to begin in a few days, air quality will once again be a concern for Utah’s state senators and representatives. Whether it has the same political urgency as it has in past years may depend on just how polluted the air gets – and the view from Capitol Hill. Utah Foundation’s Dan Bammes talks with two members of Utah’s Legislature, Democratic Representative Patrice Arent and Republican Representative Steve Eliason, about … Continued