ECOS hopes to clean valley air with No Drive Fridays

By Jacob Moon

March 30, 2004 | Heavy inversions during the winter have prompted one student organization at Utah State University to challenge everyone to go without a car one day each week.

Vanessa Welsh, president of ECOS, Ecological Coalition of Students, says the bad air in Cache Valley during January and February is partly a result of too many cars in the valley. To help residents breathe easy, ECOS is sponsoring "No Drive Fridays" at least until the end of the semester.

"It's important for people to understand that it isn't necessary to hop in a car just to drive a couple of blocks," Welsh said, emphasizing that many students live within walking distance to campus.

During each No Drive Friday, ECOS will have information available outside the Taggart Student Center to help students understand what options are available besides using the car.

Welsh said she has worked with the Logan Transit District to have ride counselors at the TSC.

"A lot of people don't know what to do to ride the bus," she said. "Ride counselors will be able to explain bus routes."

There will also be prizes from local bike shops, which Welsh hopes will include free bike tune-ups.

The idea came from legislation passed by the Cache County Council last year, emphasizing one day each month as a "No Drive" day. However, the council only set aside the spring and summer months to encourage this environmentalism, a stipulation that Welsh feels is ironic.

"I thought it was interesting because [during the winter] is when air quality seems to be the worst," she said.

Reports from the Bear River Health Department during January and February had Cache Valley residents on edge as the air quality was reported to be "very unhealthy." The poor air quality lingered because of weather inversions that trapped air in the valley.

Kevin Emerson of the Utah Clean Air Alliance has worked with Welsh on various environmental projects at USU and fully supports what the coalition is doing.

"It's great to see students look at their lifestyle and take simple steps to improve the community and their lives," Emerson said.

UCAA, a non-profit organization that focuses on educating the public about energy choices, has been working hard over the past year to promote the benefits of wind power.

Emerson said that in light of the AggiEcology from last fall, his goal is to encourage the university to buy renewable energy sources like wind power.

Although building wind farms is a large investment in the beginning, he says it pays off over time and is a good supplement to energy from fossil fuels.

"Once you have a wind farm developed there are no fluctuating costs or cost spikes like you have with fossil fuels," Emerson said.

Emerson emphasized that there are many different options available to help residents take care of the environment, and he is pleased that ECOS doing its part in educating the public.

Welsh agreed that the little steps can make a big difference.

"We are just getting started with [No Drive Fridays]," Welsh said. "But we hope it will catch on and last a long time."

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