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‘The Great Highway Murder Mystery’: Air Pollution in Denver, Colorado 1945 to 2002
Doucette, Haley
Doucette, Haley
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Abstract
The number of cars registered in Colorado skyrocketed from 271,120 automobiles in 1945 to 1,099,568 cars in 1970. With more automobiles came more air pollution, most notably carbon monoxide. When inhaled it reduces the body's ability to carry blood and oxygen to vital organs resulting in fatigue and headaches in minor cases or in extreme cases death. In particular, Denver’s topography and elevation increased the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. The city is situated in a river valley causing air pollution to become trapped because the higher land surrounding the city prevents the pollution from dispersing. Also, Denver is 5,280 feet above sea level, so there is less oxygen in the air, causing automobiles to emit more carbon monoxide as they use more fuel to make up for the lack of oxygen.
In the early 1970s, groups like the Colorado Citizens for Clean Air (CCCA) joined the national environmental movement to provide citizen input in eliminating air pollution. Most notably, the CCCA, led by chairwoman Dr. Ruth Weiner, wanted citizens to give up their automobiles for other forms of transportation such as bicycling or public transit. However, Coloradoans refused to exchange the convenience and comfort of driving for bicycling in Denver’s harsh climate or riding the city's unreliable public transit. But environmentalists did bring the issue of air pollution to the attention of politicians, leading them to devise strategies to reduce air pollution, while still allowing citizens to drive their cars. This paper will argue that Denver’s air quality did not improve because of fewer cars on the road, instead, in the early 1990s newly mandated automobile technology, including oxygenated gas, catalytic converters, and emissions testing and stricter pollution regulations inspired by environmental activists and introduced by lawmakers in the 1970s improved the city’s air quality.
Description
This is the presentation given at the American Society for Environmental History held in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania on 04/12/1996.
Date
1996-04-12
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Publisher
University of Kansas