Does Colorado have a pollution problem?

Colorado suffers from a serious and growing air quality problem, failing year after year to meet federal standards for air that’s healthy and safe to breathe. That needs to change. Haze over Rocky Mountain National Park. Air pollution harms human health and wildlife and damages national parks.

What is causing pollution in Colorado?

Greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks are Colorado’s biggest contribution to climate change, as well as contributing to our ozone problem and adding to pollution in the communities most impacted.

What environmental problems are caused by carbon monoxide?

When carbon monoxide is emitted into the atmosphere it effects the amount of greenhouse gases, which are linked to climate change and global warming. This means that land and sea temperature increases changing to ecosystems, increasing storm activity and causing other extreme weather events.

Why is the air unhealthy in Colorado?

A hazy Denver skyline is just one impact of poor air quality. In recent weeks, Colorado’s air quality has rapidly deteriorated. Smog, a portion of which is composed of smoke from wildfires within and outside the state, has obscured our view of the mountains from the Front Range.

What are Colorado’s biggest sources of air pollution?

The biggest culprits right now are oil and gas production and refining, driving petroleum-fueled vehicles, emission from coal-fired power plants, industrial plants and wildfire smoke. But hear us out, it’s more complicated than that. Some of Colorado’s air pollution is direct.

Is Colorado air quality getting worse?

DENVER — Air quality has been up and down in Colorado throughout 2021 so far, and a new report shows much of the same in 2020.

What is causing the pollution in Denver?

As with many other cities in the US, the main source of air pollution in Denver is from its power generation units. The largest offender is the Comanche Generating Station which produces more than 1,400 megawatts of energy from its 3 coal-fired generators.

Where does carbon monoxide pollution come from in house?

Carbon Monoxide Sources in the Home CO is produced whenever a material burns. Homes with fuel-burning appliances or attached garages are more likely to have CO problems Common sources of CO in our homes include fuel-burning appliances and devices such as: Clothes dryers. Water heaters.

Is carbon monoxide causing global warming?

Carbon monoxide does not directly contribute to global climate change, but it does react in the atmosphere to produce methane and ozone. Methane and ozone follow only carbon dioxide in their contributions to human-caused climate change.

How is Colorado’s bad air quality affecting residents lungs?

Both ozone and particle pollution can cause premature death and other serious health effects such as asthma attacks and cardiovascular damage and are linked to developmental and reproductive harm. Particle pollution can also cause lung cancer.

Why is there so much smoke in Colorado?

A surge of large wildfires in the West, fueled in part by climate change, has increased the number of days residents are breathing smoke across nearly every part of Colorado, a CPR News investigation shows.

Why is Denver so polluted?

What is causing unhealthy air quality in Denver?

2020 brought the highest levels of air pollution the Denver metro area has seen in a decade. The cause has been attributed to the raging wildfires across the state.

Where is the cleanest air in Colorado?

Colorado Springs has an air quality index of 88.3%. That’s a bit less than the national average of 89.2%, but still better than the air quality in Denver, just North of Colorado Springs. The Palmer Divide tends to block out most of the smog and pollutants that come from Denver.

Why does Denver have the worst air quality?

Meteorologist Chris Tomer said California’s wildfire season is indeed one of this year’s culprits. “The wind pattern into Colorado moves west to east,” Tomer said. “This is California smoke that blows in and sets in the Denver area and gets trapped.”

How can we prevent carbon monoxide pollution?

Steps to Reduce Exposure to Carbon Monoxide

1. Keep gas appliances properly adjusted.
2. Consider purchasing a vented space heater when replacing an unvented one.
3. Use proper fuel in kerosene space heaters.
4. Install and use an exhaust fan vented to outdoors over gas stoves.
5. Open flues when fireplaces are in use.

What is the most common source of carbon monoxide?

The greatest sources of CO to outdoor air are cars, trucks and other vehicles or machinery that burn fossil fuels. A variety of items in your home such as unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, leaking chimneys and furnaces, and gas stoves also release CO and can affect air quality indoors.

What is causing Denver’s bad air quality?

Transportation, or mobile, emissions from trucks, trains, aeroplanes and all other motor vehicles comprise the largest single contributor to Denver’s air pollution.

Why does Denver smell like smoke?

Officials: Smoky Skies Caused By N.M. Wildfire. DENVER — Authorities say heavy smoke reported along the Front Range is coming from a huge wildfire in New Mexico.

Where is all the smoke in Colorado coming from?

Aug. 7, 2021. Smoke coming from outside Colorado is beginning to transform the state’s blue skies into a hazy gray. Weather officials say the smoke drifting into the state primarily comes from the Pipeline fire near Flagstaff, Arizona, which ignited Sunday.