In the News
Bolded articles reference the campaign. Other articles are included for context etc.
August 2023
- Fox 13 (Aug 1 story by Ben Winslow), “Utah carbon tax initiative won’t get enough signatures to get on the ballot, sponsor says”
July 2023
- Deseret News (July 1 op-ed by Dave Carrier), “Can shifting taxes from potatoes to pollution save paragliding?”
June 2023
- Salt Lake Tribune (June 4 op-ed by Yoram Bauman and Dave Carrier), “Utahns, don’t give up on ballot measures — and join our effort to clean the darn air”
- Southern Utah Independent (June 1 op-ed by Dave Carrier), “Moab can help Clean The Darn Air” (undated version here)
April 2023
- Salt Lake Tribune (April 25 op-ed by London Kelley), “It’s time for Gen Z to rise up for climate action”
February 2023
- Southern Utah Independent (Feb 19 op-ed by Lisa Rutherford), “Clean The Darn Air is worth a vote”
- KSL News Radio 102.7 FM (Feb 15 story by Alexandrea Bonilla, interviewing London Kelley and Yoram Bauman), “One campaign aims to “Clean the Darn Air” with ballot initiative“
- Osher Lunch & Learn Lecture (Feb 15 zoom presentation by Yoram Bauman): “Comedy, Economics, and Clean-Air-and-Climate Ballot Measures in Utah and Beyond“
- Utah Public Radio (Feb 13, 50-minute interview by UPR’s Tom Williams with London Kelley and Yoram Bauman), “‘Clean The Darn Air’ on Monday’s Access Utah“
- Ogden Standard-Examiner (Feb 12 article by Harrison Epstein), “Group begins push for carbon tax initiative on November 2024 ballot” (also published in the Provo Daily Herald).
- Deseret News (Feb 4 story by Ashley Nash), “Research compares breathing Utah air for a day to smoking up to five cigarettes“: “Utah cities made up seven of the top 10 cities with the worst air quality in the US on Saturday”
- The Spectrum (Feb 3 op-ed by Lisa Rutherford), “What will our air future be?”
January 2023
- Southern Utah Independent (Jan 29 op-ed by Lisa Rutherford), “What will our air future be?”
- Fox13 (Jan 13 interview with London Kelley and Yoram Bauman), “Carbon tax ballot initiative filed for Utah air quality efforts”
October 2022
- Utah Public Radio (interview with Casey Hansen and Jack Podolsky), “Statewide campaign sets out to ‘Clean the Darn Air'”
September 2022
- Salt Lake Tribune (Sept 1 op-ed by Yoram Bauman), “Could Pacific Ocean pipeline to the Great Salt Lake also tame the rising seas?”
April 2022
- Salt Lake Tribune (April 12 op-ed by Jan Kennington), “Do you know the facts about air pollution in Utah?”
- Not specifically about the campaign, but a good piece: Binyamin Applebaum, “Enough about climate change. Air pollution is killing us now”, NYT, April 19, 2022.
February 2022
- Deseret News (Feb 23 op-ed by Dave Carrier), “These two Utah bills would help clean the air”
- Salt Lake Tribune (Feb 24 op-ed by Yoram Bauman): “The Utah legislature can act to Clean The Darn Air”
Update March 2021: Much of the material below is archived from our effort to make the Nov 2020 ballot. See the blog for updates as we regroup for Nov 2024!
September 2019
- Salt Lake Tribune (Sept 8 op-ed by Yoram Bauman): “After RomneyCare, it’s time for RomneyAir”
- UVU Review (Sept 3 article by Christian Fullmer), “Activists and students urge government to ‘Clean The Darn Air'”
August 2019
- Univ of Utah Daily Utah Chronicle (Aug 20 article by Delaney Sheppard): “‘If You Breathe in Utah, Then You Should Care About Clean Air’”
- AP (Aug 19 article): “Romney says climate change happening, humans contribute”: “Romney discussed the benefits of a carbon tax, a fee based on each ton of carbon dioxide emissions produced by fossil fuels that some major oil companies have adopted. He suggested a portion of the tax revenue could go to coal workers in rural communities that would suffer financially from the move to cleaner power alternatives.”
- Deseret News (Aug 19 editorial): “Utah’s clean air road map will separate myths from solutions”
- NPR (Aug 13): “Air Pollution May Be As Harmful To Your Lungs As Smoking Cigarettes, Study Finds”
July 2019
- KRCL 90.9FM RadioACTive interview (Th July 26 interview with Yoram Bauman): Follow the link (and start at the 31:00 mark) for a recording.
- KPCW 91.7FM This Green Earth interview (T July 23 interview with Yoram Bauman).
- Deseret New (July 17 op-ed by Yoram Bauman): “We can make the desert bloom again by cleaning the air”
- NY Times (July 10):“Even Moderate Air Pollution May Lead to Lung Disease”
- KUER (July 8 story by Nicole Nixon): “Signature Gathering Begins For Carbon Tax Proposal That Could Raise Millions For Clean Air”
- Salt Lake Tribune (July 7 op-ed by Don Albrecht): “Urban and rural Utah will both benefit if we Clean The Darn Air”
- Utah Public Radio (July 3 article by Steve Smith): “Citizen-Sponsored Carbon Tax Initiative Proposes Huge Overhauls To State Tax Laws”
- Fox 13 (July 1 TV segment by Ben Winslow): “Signature gathering starts for ballot initiative to clean up Utah’s air”
June 2019
- Governor Herbert doesn’t say No (Th June 27 tweet from Ben Winslow of Fox News, see also full transcript here):
I ask @GovHerbert on @CleantheDarnAir, and he says he is NOT opposed to looking at a carbon tax.
“I think everybody supports cleaner air,” he says, but cautions he’s not supporting/opposing but willing to discuss it. @fox13 #utpol #GovKUED pic.twitter.com/6V6PhJiy5S
— Ben Winslow (@BenWinslow) June 27, 2019
- Salt Lake Tribune (June 24 column by Robert Gehrke): “Trump can try to prop up the coal industry, but rural Utah needs to start preparing for the future”
- KRCL 90.9FM RadioACTive interview (W June 26 interview with volunteers Tim Woodruff and Ronan Carrier): Follow the link (and start at the 43:00 mark) for a recording.
- Utah Public Radio (June 26 interview with Yoram Bauman): “Climate And Comedy With Stand-Up Economist Yoram Bauman On Wednesday’s Access Utah”.
- Salt Lake Tribune (June 25 article by Benjamin Wood): “New estimate shows Utah’s Clean the Darn Air carbon tax would generate $170 million”
- LTE (letter to the editor) on June 24 from Jean Lown in Logan.
- Trib Talk podcast (June 19 with Yoram Bauman).
- Governor’s Office of Economic Development (June 19 post featuring campaign Advisory Board member Don Albrecht—note that this article is about his day job, not about our campaign): “Rural Utah Communities Reevaluate Needs for the 21st-Century Economy”
- Salt Lake Tribune (June 9 op-ed by Yoram Bauman and David Carrier): “Let’s clean the darn air by taxing pollution instead of potatoes.”
May 2019
- Salt Lake Tribune (May 31 column by George Pyle): “The free market wants a beautiful Utah. Not a coal mine.”
- Salt Lake Tribune (May 27 front-page story by Sean Means): “Salt Lake City makes the list of the nation’s worst cities for health effects tied to air pollution.”
- Fox 13 (May 24 TV segment by Ben Winslow): “A ballot initiative that imposes a tax on pollution to clean up Utah’s air advances.”
- KSL.com (May 24 article by Kim Bojórquez): “Utah youth leave school to join global climate protest”
- Provo Daily Herald (May 11 op-ed by Don Jarvis): “Green New Deal myths and prospects”
- Salt Lake Tribune (May 9 article by Benjamin Wood): “Would Utahns vote for a carbon tax? Initiative campaign aiming for the 2020 ballot holds obligatory town halls.”
- Provo Daily Herald (May 6 article by Katie England): “Public meeting about carbon tax initiative to be held in Provo”
April 2019
- NY Times (April 30): “In a Switch, Some Republicans Start Citing Climate Change as Driving Their Policies”
- Salt Lake Tribune (April 24 article by Thomas burr): “Study: Salt Lake, Orem and Provo among worst in the nation for air pollution”
- Salt Lake Tribune (April 23 article by Courtney Tanner): “Childhood cancer survivors kept showing up in Utah emergency rooms unable to breathe. Researchers have now figured out what’s going on.”
- KNRS 105.9 (April 19, Rod Arquette show): Start at the 20:20 mark.
- KUER (April 19 story by Nicole Nixon): “Utahns might vote on a carbon tax in 2020”
- Salt Lake Tribune (April 18 article by Bethany Rodgers): “Could a Utah carbon tax be on the ballot in 2020? A group wants to use the money to clean up the air”
- Fox 13 (April 18 article by Ben Winslow): “A new ballot measure has been filed for air quality in Utah”. (And congratulations to Ben for breaking the news about our ballot measure filing!)
Prior to our ballot measure filing (Jan – Mar 2019)
- Salt Lake Tribune (March 29 article by Bethany Rodgers): “Utah lawmakers tucked away $110M to solve a slew of building and parking problems on Capitol Hill and its surroundings”
- Salt Lake Tribune (March 14 article by Taylor Stevens): “Legislature falls far short of governor’s goal of investing $100M to improve air quality. Advocates say it’s a good first step.”
- Casper (WY) Star Tribune (Feb 19 op-ed by economist Jason Shogren): “Shogren: What does the market say? Coal bailout bill will impose a hidden tax on families and workers”
Prior to our ballot measure filing (2018 and earlier)
- Salt Lake Tribune (December 27, 2018, article by Bethany Rodgers): “Gov. Herbert wants to take state spending on air quality to new heights. What could his proposed $100 million investment do to reduce pollution?”
- Salt Lake Tribune (December 18, 2018, article by Erin Alberty): “Utah’s air pollution could lead to miscarriages, according to one study, but doctors aren’t talking about it”
- NY Times (July 28, 2018): “Actually, Republicans Do Believe in Climate Change”