ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIR
Colo. must push for clean air policies
I moved to Colorado in 2015, and even just in this time I have watched the public lands around Fort Collins that I hike on every weekend suffer.
Colorado lives on a legacy of beautiful mountain ranges and open spaces, yet we have some of the worst air quality in the country. In 2017, Denver was listed as the 11th worst city in the country for ozone levels (American Lung Association clean air report). This not only affects our public lands but the health of the people in our community.
The quickest way to improve human and environmental health is to control these emissions drastically. It is hugely disappointing to watch push back on work to preserve our health by the federal government. Our state representatives have an opportunity to lead by example. I plead with my state representatives to preserve the Colorado legacy and lead the country by making air qual- ity a top priority. Madison Scardino, Fort Collins
Re: “Poll says Westerners favor protection ... ,” Feb. 1 news story
I wasn’t surprised when I read about the poll regarding how strongly Coloradans support public lands. Every day when I drive along Federal Boulevard in Westminster, I can’t help looking out my car window at the beautiful Rocky Mountains.
What does surprise me is the dichotomy between Coloradans’ love of natural spaces and the state of our air. We need to clear away the pollution that’s harming our environment and our health and set our state down a cleaner path. I urge our state legislature to take bold steps to reduce carbon pollution, protect public health, and preserve Colorado’s natural legacy for generations to come. Mireille Bejjani, Denver