For years Colorado’s Front Range has repeatedly failed to meet the EPA’s national air quality standards, putting local policymakers and regulators under pressure to fix the air pollution affecting us all. Now air monitoring and data gathering are slowly starting to catch up to the reality that many communities experience living in proximity to industries, highways, railroads, and other sources of pollutants. 

But what made us care about air quality in the first place? From the Brown Cloud that hung over Denver in the ’70s and ’80s to the landmark Clean Air Act, we break down the science and policies that propelled us to start to clean up our air.

Learn more about the podcast at clearingtheair.org.

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The Institute for Science & Policy is a catalyst for thoughtful dialogue, working toward solutions to society’s greatest challenges with scientific thinking, empathy, and inclusivity. The Institute is a project of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. 

Episode Credits:

Reporting, writing, hosting: Kristan Uhlenbrock

Writing, marketing: Tricia Waddell

Additional reporting and fact-checking: Nicole Delaney and Kate Long

Sound design: Seth Samuels with tracks from Epidemic Sounds

Audio engineering: Jesse Boynton