"Western Air: Progress and Challenges in Protecting Human Health and Scenic Vistas," will be addressed by two University of Colorado at Boulder faculty members Nov. 6 as part of the Chancellor's Community Lecture Series.
The talk by Michael Hannigan and Jana Milford of the mechanical engineering department will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Chautauqua Community House at 900 Baseline Road in Boulder. The talk is free and open to the public and no reservations are required.
The event is the second of eight public lectures to be presented by CU-Boulder faculty on the theme of "Healing the West: Remedy, Repair, Restoration, Mitigation." The series is sponsored by the CU-Boulder Office of the Chancellor, the CU-Boulder Center of the American West and the Colorado Chautauqua Association.
Hannigan is a research associate in mechanical engineering who has been involved in air pollution studies in urban and rural locations including Denver, Los Angeles, Boston, Mexico City, Big Bend National Park and the Pacific Ocean.
Milford is an associate professor of mechanical engineering, a former director of the environmental engineering program and a second-year CU law student. She served on the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission and is currently a member of the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Air Quality Management in the United States.
Their presentation will describe the origins of air pollution in the West, explain how different pollutants affect health and visibility and review what's being done to reduce pollutant levels. Their talk will address the following questions:
* Since Denver is now in compliance with federal air pollution standards, can we stop worrying about air pollution?
* If Denver is in compliance with federal standards, why can I still see the Brown Cloud?
* Are the pollutants that affect visibility in the national parks the same ones that affect asthma in urban areas?
* Is visibility in national parks and wilderness areas in the West getting worse?
* What would it take to restore visibility in scenic areas to natural conditions?
Following the Nov. 6 lecture, the series will continue from December to May on the first Wednesday of every month, except for the lecture on Jan. 15. The series will feature CU-Boulder faculty members from disciplines including French and Italian, biology, environmental studies, musicology, English, environmental engineering and history.
For information call the CU-Boulder Office of Community Affairs at (303) 492-7084. A complete schedule of lectures is posted at and .