Politicians & Business Leaders Made Utah’s Pandemic Worse

Propublica, an excellent investigative journalism non-profit, did a feature story on how in Utah “politicians and business interests pushed health officials aside to control reopening, then cases exploded.”

“Back in April, when public health officials were still helping lead Utah’s response to the coronavirus, the spread of the disease had slowed, stabilizing at fewer than 200 reported cases a day. Then came a shift in power, and priorities.

With key health experts cut out of the decision-making process, including the state epidemiologist and local officials who were stripped of their ability to issue their own restrictions, the governor and the commission quickly swept aside restrictions meant to slow the virus’s advance in Utah. You can now hold indoor events with up to 3,000 people and outdoor events with up to 6,000. You can drink at bars, eat in restaurants and go to the movies.

“To be the ‘boots on the ground’ for the the virus response, the governor appointed Burton, a retired military leader with no medical training who had experience in disaster management.

“Utah’s story is mirrored in states across the country, where leaders sidelined public health experts and forged ahead without meeting criteria scientists say are necessary to reopen.” Read full Propublica article here.

This is a recurring theme in Utah and so many other states. Ignoring the science and the real experts is deadly, and actually hurts the economy in the long run.

Meanwhile, Salt Lake County’s mask mandate appears to be working in bringing the number of cases down. Read Salt Lake Tribune article covering that story here. However, because, as we have said over and over, a pandemic anywhere is a pandemic everywhere, without similar action by the rest of the state, and frankly other states, the benefit of SL County’s actions will be undone by spread from other parts of the state. So unless we can get Gov. Herbert to declare a mask mandate statewide, this slight improvement will likely be short lived.

🎉 Join us in celebration on Thursday, March 28th at the Utah State Capitol from 11-12 pm MT to kick off our campaign to save the Phalaropes - and the Great Salt Lake.

Featuring speakers like Phalarope scientist Ryan Carle, Terry Tempest Williams, Ben Abbott (@growtheflow), Patrick Donnelly (@centerforbiod), representatives from @uphe and UYES, and more. Plus, don't miss the Great Salt Lake Vigil bird puppets and signs expressing our love for the Lake.

🐦 What exactly is at stake for the Great Salt Lake if the Wilson’s Phalarope gains Endangered Species Act protection?

Protecting the Wilson’s Phalarope under the Endangered Species Act could mean crucial safeguards for the Great Salt Lake, including regulations on water levels and ecosystem preservation. Federal involvement might push leaders to prioritize water flow to the lake.

We can't wait to see you there ❗️RSVP: Link in Bio.

🎉 Join us in celebration on Thursday, March 28th at the Utah State Capitol from 11-12 pm MT to kick off our campaign to save the Phalaropes - and the Great Salt Lake.

Featuring speakers like Phalarope scientist Ryan Carle, Terry Tempest Williams, Ben Abbott (@growtheflow), Patrick Donnelly (@centerforbiod), representatives from @uphe and UYES, and more. Plus, don`t miss the Great Salt Lake Vigil bird puppets and signs expressing our love for the Lake.

🐦 What exactly is at stake for the Great Salt Lake if the Wilson’s Phalarope gains Endangered Species Act protection?

Protecting the Wilson’s Phalarope under the Endangered Species Act could mean crucial safeguards for the Great Salt Lake, including regulations on water levels and ecosystem preservation. Federal involvement might push leaders to prioritize water flow to the lake.

We can`t wait to see you there ❗️RSVP: Link in Bio.
...

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Immigration at the southern border and inflation, especially food inflation, have been the top two political issues this year according to recent polls. Did you know that both are being affected, if not largely driven by, the climate crisis? 🌎
 
Agricultural stability hinges on consistent precipitation and temperatures. However, the climate crisis, marked by extreme temperatures, droughts, floods, hurricanes, and more, is significantly disrupting food production. Already, millions of people worldwide have been displaced from their homes as a result. In 2022, over 30 million people became climate or earthquake refugees. Not surprisingly, a new study directly connected the climate crisis with food inflation throughout the world. 📈
 
Central America, the origin of much the immigration surge at the southern border, contributes hardly any greenhouse gases to the global atmosphere, but is especially at risk from the climate crisis. Honduras is pummeled with hurricanes, rising seas and storm surges, and coastal erosion. In Western Mexico it’s drought. In Guatemala and El Salvador its hurricanes, drought, floods, and malnutrition from crop failure.
 
By 2050, weather extremes and ecosystem destruction, and the ensuing societal collapse, will create as many as 1.2 billion climate refugees and risk the lives of even more. Food inflation that we’re seeing now is just the beginning of this dangerous trend. It is in our own self-interest and our moral obligation for Utah and the United States to end our dependency on greenhouse gas emitting dirty energy. Taking care of our local environment helps us take care of our shared world. 💚

Immigration at the southern border and inflation, especially food inflation, have been the top two political issues this year according to recent polls. Did you know that both are being affected, if not largely driven by, the climate crisis? 🌎

Agricultural stability hinges on consistent precipitation and temperatures. However, the climate crisis, marked by extreme temperatures, droughts, floods, hurricanes, and more, is significantly disrupting food production. Already, millions of people worldwide have been displaced from their homes as a result. In 2022, over 30 million people became climate or earthquake refugees. Not surprisingly, a new study directly connected the climate crisis with food inflation throughout the world. 📈

Central America, the origin of much the immigration surge at the southern border, contributes hardly any greenhouse gases to the global atmosphere, but is especially at risk from the climate crisis. Honduras is pummeled with hurricanes, rising seas and storm surges, and coastal erosion. In Western Mexico it’s drought. In Guatemala and El Salvador its hurricanes, drought, floods, and malnutrition from crop failure.

By 2050, weather extremes and ecosystem destruction, and the ensuing societal collapse, will create as many as 1.2 billion climate refugees and risk the lives of even more. Food inflation that we’re seeing now is just the beginning of this dangerous trend. It is in our own self-interest and our moral obligation for Utah and the United States to end our dependency on greenhouse gas emitting dirty energy. Taking care of our local environment helps us take care of our shared world. 💚
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🤔 What does enacting the Endangered Species Act for the Wilson’s Phalarope mean for the Great Salt Lake? 

If we’re successful in achieving this status, an Endangered Species Act listing of the Wilson’s Phalarope would trigger a full range of protections that would likely include mandates around 💧water levels and ecosystem protections at the lake. The potential for federal involvement is a lever we hope will push our leaders to get serious about sending water to Great Salt Lake. 

💪 Help us make this launch as powerful as it can be so that we can address the great public health and ecological crises we face due to the drying Great Salt Lake. 

🎉 Join us on Thursday, March 28th at the Utah State Capitol from 11-12 pm MT for the campaign launch and celebration. 

Speakers will include Phalarope scientist Ryan Carle, Terry Tempest Williams, Ben Abbott (@growtheflow) Patrick Donnelly (@centerforbiod), representatives from @uphe and UYES and more. We’ll also have the Great Salt Lake Vigil bird puppets and signs showing our love for the lake.

❗️RSVP Link in Bio.

🤔 What does enacting the Endangered Species Act for the Wilson’s Phalarope mean for the Great Salt Lake?

If we’re successful in achieving this status, an Endangered Species Act listing of the Wilson’s Phalarope would trigger a full range of protections that would likely include mandates around 💧water levels and ecosystem protections at the lake. The potential for federal involvement is a lever we hope will push our leaders to get serious about sending water to Great Salt Lake.

💪 Help us make this launch as powerful as it can be so that we can address the great public health and ecological crises we face due to the drying Great Salt Lake.

🎉 Join us on Thursday, March 28th at the Utah State Capitol from 11-12 pm MT for the campaign launch and celebration.

Speakers will include Phalarope scientist Ryan Carle, Terry Tempest Williams, Ben Abbott (@growtheflow) Patrick Donnelly (@centerforbiod), representatives from @uphe and UYES and more. We’ll also have the Great Salt Lake Vigil bird puppets and signs showing our love for the lake.

❗️RSVP Link in Bio.
...

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SAVE THE DATE to SAVE THE PHALAROPES! 🐦
March 28th (Thursday), 11am @ Utah State Capitol. 

Protecting wildlife is not our agenda, that is the worthy focus of many other groups. But in this case protecting this endangered bird that depends on the lake overlaps completely with protecting public health on the Wasatch Front.  If we allow the lake to continue to shrivel up we will have allowed a pollution nightmare (toxic dust storms) to unfold.  Wherever you have a pollution nightmare you find a public health nightmare if you look hard enough or wait long enough.

❗️RSVP Link in Bio.

SAVE THE DATE to SAVE THE PHALAROPES! 🐦
March 28th (Thursday), 11am @ Utah State Capitol.

Protecting wildlife is not our agenda, that is the worthy focus of many other groups. But in this case protecting this endangered bird that depends on the lake overlaps completely with protecting public health on the Wasatch Front. If we allow the lake to continue to shrivel up we will have allowed a pollution nightmare (toxic dust storms) to unfold. Wherever you have a pollution nightmare you find a public health nightmare if you look hard enough or wait long enough.

❗️RSVP Link in Bio.
...

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