Recently my wife and I once again debated whether or not we should sell the home we love; leave Salt Lake City, our friends and neighbors; cut ties with our excellent physicians and their health care teams; and move to the Pacific Northwest. We have friends there who are thoroughly enjoying their lives in first-rate retirement communities.
A major move and relocation are always stressful, but my wife loves a challenge, is detail oriented and possesses all the skills necessary for organizing and directing complex projects. She assures me she would manage our move to the Pacific Northwest just as successfully and efficiently as she has our four previous moves.
Ten years ago, we firmly believed Salt Lake City would be our final home. During the last two years, however, the health hazards associated with increasing environmental pollution — especially those associated with the neurotoxins and other pollutants being released due to the depletion of the Great Salt Lake — have led us to reassess our decision to remain.
During our 26 years as residents of Salt Lake City, we have become increasingly convinced that Utah’s conservative state legislators are too little dedicated to conservation. Our state’s political and business movers-and-shakers promote maximum growth and development — and too readily downplay associated long-term environmental and human costs.
Conservative legislators seem to believe that entrepreneurial ingenuity and ever expanding markets best ensure human well-being. For them, the good life and social justice, insofar as they are humanly attainable, are best secured through minimally regulated free-market transactions.
When such a mindset dominates, short-term economic advantage often outweighs concern for longer-term human well-being. When the conservative “business friendly” mindset dominates within a society, is everything for sale? Even the health and well-being of ourselves, our children, our grandchildren and our great-grand children?
During their 2023 and 2024 sessions, Utah’s legislators did little to counter the ecological and environmental disasters following in the wake of a decades long drought.
Unfortunately there is little evidence that Utah’s legislators will — in a timely manner — issue an adequate response to present threats. Past performance is an all but certain indicator that their primary efforts will remain dedicated to growth and development. They will as usual turn a blind eye to the increased water consumption and pollution associated with a number of projects — the Inland Port being a prime example.
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My wife and I will no doubt revisit our debate until further environmental degradation, heightened pollution, increased health risks and continued legislative inaction compel us to leave. Our forced exit, along with that of many others who share our concerns, may well occur in the not-too-distant future.
Unless voters hold legislators accountable at the polls, problems associated with environmental degradation and pollution will go unsolved Hence those challenges will likely go unmet at the state level.
A recent Supreme Court decision undermined federal agencies’ ability to deal effectively with environmental pollution. That decision makes it less likely the federal government will effectively monitor Utah’s environment, much less step in to resolve current problems in a timely fashion.
A pressing question will increasingly cloud the horizons of many Utahns: To leave or to stay?
Andrew Bjelland
Andrew Bjelland, PhD, professor emeritus of philosophy at Seattle University, taught political philosophy, jurisprudence, medical ethics and logic. He held the Pigott-McCone Chair in Humanities. He resides in Salt Lake City.
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