Fuming over fumes

Every day, we read articles about climate change, pollution, the need to reduce emissions. The list goes on. And rightly so. These are some of the most pressing and important issues of our time. And every day, I wonder why only one county in New Mexico — Bernalillo — requires vehicle emissions testing. Before returning home to New Mexico and moving to Santa Fe, I lived in Boulder, Colo. There, as in most places in Colorado, vehicles are required to pass emissions testing before drivers can renew their vehicle registration. It’s a simple, quick and inexpensive ($15-$25) way to put an end to the ugly, stinky, black exhaust that is released daily into our New Mexican skies and into our New Mexican lungs.

Altered mu±ers are probably to blame for the supersized fumes, which are usually accompanied by supersized roars. Both are odious and disrespectful, both to our fellow citizens and to Mother Nature. As Bryan Bird pointed out (“Traffic noise is shattering peace in the city,” My View, May 1), the noise ordinance for motor vehicles should be enforced. And that enforcement should go hand in hand with emissions standards, which should also be enforced. There are 130 inspection stations in Bernalillo County. Those stations employ people, another benefit of emissions testing. Is there a reason why other counties, including Santa Fe County, don’t adopt (and enforce) such a reasonable, effective, inexpensive way to help keep our air, lungs and earbuds happier and healthier? If other areas around the United States can do it, so can we.

Fiona Simon Santa Fe