Dangerous Dog Days of Summer

We’re sure you felt it. Last week, our planet experienced its four hottest days on record. From July 3-6, each day was hotter than the last.

On July 6, the global average temperature reached 63.02°F (1.8°F above the average for the same day) and broke the all-time record, set the day before, at 62.9°F, per Axios with data from NOAA.

You may know O₂ Utah as a clean air organization, but our work on air quality is directly correlated to climate change. By reducing our emissions by 50% by 2030, O₂ Utah’s plan to clear the air will impact the root causes of our warming planet — human emissions and greenhouse gasses.

Climate change is happening before our eyes and top polluters continue to be green-lit by our leadership at all levels. Local action has an outsized impact, and O₂ Utah has a plan to push our state to action.  

A donation to O₂ Utah helps us continue the momentum from passing HB 220. With your help, we’ll continue supporting environmentally-conscious candidates at the local level, encourage our cities and towns to lead on climate action, and create grassroots change.

Please consider taking action and donating to our year-round campaign for clean air and a healthy climate.

Municipal Elections & Endorsements

Municipal elections are around the corner, albeit a little later than originally planned due to the special election in the 2nd Congressional District. Utah has pushed this year’s elections back with the primary election on Sept. 5, and the general election on Nov. 21.

The O₂ Utah team has already met with, and endorsed, a number of candidates in key municipal races throughout the state. Be on the lookout for more endorsements coming soon and ways you can volunteer during the election cycle.

Electoral involvement is critical as we fight for clean air and a healthy future. The relationships we build during campaigns, and the leaders we ultimately elect, lead to visionary policy and improved environmental outcomes in Utah.

Upcoming Events

Pints for a Purpose | Wednesday, July 19 | 6:00 p.m. | RoHa Brewing Project

Join O₂ Utah and Save Our Canyons at RoHa Brewing Project to mingle with like-minded environmentalists, learn how to take action in our community, and write your representatives to tell them air quality is important to you!

Plus, there will be an opportunity drawing with swag from Save Our Canyons and O₂ Utah, gift cards from local partners, and more!

Donation Flow Yoga | Every Tuesday in August | 7:00 p.m. | Tadasana Yoga Park City

Meet us on the mat every Tuesday in August at Tadasana Yoga in Park City for a Donation Flow class. There is a $10 suggested donation, with all proceeds benefitting O₂ Utah.

The class will generally be Power Flow, a practice that moves you from pose to pose and tests your physical, mental, and spiritual limits so you can experience transformations on and off your mat.

We’re Hiring: Voting Organizer

We're hiring two part-time voting organizers responsible for voter registration and door-to-door canvassing efforts in West Jordan.

This position aims to increase voting participation from environmentally conscious residents to help advance clean air and climate policies. Candidates should be passionate about environmental issues and politics with strong interpersonal skills.

Click here for the full job description. To apply, please send your resume to [email protected] with the subject line "o2 Utah Voting Organizer"

In The News

O₂ Utah: Improving Air Quality to Improve Quality of Life

Be sure to pick up the July issue of SLUG Magazine for a great feature story on the O₂ Utah model and our work on HB 220!

Get old cars off the road to protect vulnerable California communities, report urges

A significant portion of O₂ Utah’s Prosperity 2030 plan is tackling pollution from transportation. Here in Utah, older vehicles have an outsized impact, with 50% of emissions coming from just 10% of vehicles.

But it’s not just a Utah problem, and we can learn from neighboring states. A report from California found combustion-engine vehicles more than 20 years old pollute almost three times more than vehicles from 2004 or later.

Additionally, Pre-2004 vehicles are responsible for 73% of all nitrogen oxides exhaust from passenger vehicles and 64% of reactive organic gas emissions — leading to PM2.5 pollution.

Although California already has legislation in place to phase out older vehicles and make EVs more accessible, the report suggests additional, comprehensive incentive programs for EVs and fuel-efficient vehicles, further investment in alternative models such as e-bikes and public transportation, and increased education related to transportation.

O₂ Utah is an environmental nonprofit whose mission is to clean our state's air and eliminate our contributions to climate change through elections and policy. Donate today to support our work and clean Utah's air.