Let's pretend for a moment that Global Warming is truly a natural act that we have no control over. If the consensus gelled with the science, would we still not act on the pollution choking our lungs? Would we ignore the damaging waste fed into our rivers, the mercury ingested by our children, or the garbage clogging our landfills? These very issues harbor just as much danger as global warming. Climate change is simply something we can all rally behind with the solutions to stopping it also playing a role in curing some of our other ailments. To dismiss it would be turning our backs on dangers we can truly see, feel, touch, and die from.

One perfect example of an issue we can all relate to is smog. Emissions from cars, factories, even fireplaces can all contribute to this toxic 'soup' that reduces visibility, leads to lung damage, and can contribute to asthma or other respiratory diseases. In Salt Lake City, Utah, this year's smog has become a major issue. With the city and surrounding counties sitting in a "bowl-like" geographic feature stuck between mountains and valleys, smog rarely has anywhere to go. As a result, the pollution can stretch almost 120 miles from north to south! And it's getting worse.

During the winter of 2006, Salt Lake City has 3 red alerts: warnings where motorists are encouraged to get off the roads, children are taken inside, and fires are discouraged. This year, the city has had 25 red alerts, with one jogger commenting that he hasn't spent a day of January outside due to the pollution!

Similar to stars disappearing from light pollution, those that travel to Utah looking for beautiful scenery have been squinting to pick out anything through the yellow haze. The area is awaiting a storm to push the smog away and let others benefit from the "soup".

And so, while climate change will slowly start to impact us over the next several decades, we've already created a veritable nightmare scenario. Instead of checking for rain or snow, some parts of the country must daily check air-quality ratings. How can we call ourselves an advanced society when we're poisoning ourselves willingly? Global warming may or may not be the end of the world, but go for a run in Salt Lake City, and I'm sure you'll agree that what we're doing now is a pretty good preview.

Source: Utah Mountains, Valleys Under a 'Soup'