Air Care...what you can do!

o Find out about air quality where you live:

Although air pollution is a general problem, it is your problem! Don’t just read about the general problem without tuning into how your region is doing. Contact local agencies and check local pollutant readings and air emissions permit holders. Wood stoves are not necessarily a problem in Philadelphia; Forksville doesn’t have high carbon monoxide levels during rush hour. Neither reality frees the Philadelphian or the Forksvillian from doing what they can-- whether it is taking the bus or tuning the chainsaw engine. Air regulations are perhaps more complex than other environmental regulations, but this does not mean that individuals everywhere cannot ask questions and express an opinion. Contact your regional Pa. DEP office. These regional offices are listed on page 30. Find out what groups are organized in your area to work for air improvements.

o Anything that reduces your use of energy will help:

• Walk or bike when you can, if you are able.
• Use and support mass transit. If you must drive, combine tasks and consider carpooling.
• Work toward energy efficiency in your home, including reducing heating and cooling losses, keeping heating and cooling devices running properly, turning off lights when not in use, etc.

o If you drive a car:

You may think, because you don’t see much coming out of your tailpipe, that your role in protecting air quality is quite small, but driving a private car is the average person’s most polluting daily activity! Vehicles contribute about one-third of Pa.’s air pollution! Unburned hydrocarbons and known carcinogens such as benzene, formaldehyde and 1,3 butadiene come from your tailpipe. Keeping your car properly tuned and not using higher octane gas than your car’s manufacturer recommends will decrease the amount of air pollution coming from your vehicle. Include the responsibility of caring for the air you breathe and the monetary cost of driving in mind when deciding to shop out of your way to save a few dollars on a sale. Fuel your car carefully, avoiding spills and drips, and do not top off your tank. Properly inflated tires which are aligned will result in better fuel economy. When driving, avoid over warming, speeding, revving the engine, using the air conditioning and long idling periods. Some garages sell oils labeled,"ECII," which provide increased energy conservation. The phase-out of pre-1975 vehicles, which have no catalytic converters, and pre-1981 vehicles, which generally have less efficient catalytic converters, has automatically reduced the per-car contribution of pollutants. This good fact has been offset by more drivers on the road driving more miles. The EPA estimates that the advantages gained by tighter vehicle emissions systems and reformulated gasoline (gasoline with more oxygen to increase the proper burning of fuel and less additives like benzene), will begin to be overshadowed by increasing numbers of vehicles on the road by the year 2005. See vehicle use statistics on page 31.

Lastly, keep an open mind to paying a little more (about $20/family/year, estimates the EPA) for reformulated gasoline, which may not be required in your area but still available. These fuels burn better and so release fewer hydrocarbons and have fewer carcinogenic additives. Stay tuned to alternative fuels, such as alcohol and natural gas, which are inherently cleaner than conventional gasoline.

o Around your home:

Don’t burn leaves or other yard wastes, compost them instead. It is also better to send trash to a solid waste facility than to burn it. Use a gas grill instead of charcoal and eliminate the use of lighter fluids if you do use charcoal.

Most small engines like those in lawn mowers, trimmers, leaf blowers, chain saws and garden tractors are big polluters. These non-road engines, as the US EPA calls them, emit carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds, thus adding significantly to ground level ozone. Emissions controls for these items have only recently been a design consideration. It is important to reduce your use of these items, keep them properly maintained and fuel them carefully to avoid spills. Consider replacing them with newer models as emissions devices are refined, or even with much older devices such as push mowers and hand saws.

Timing may be important! Be especially mindful if you live in or near an urban area to time your activities, like mowing the lawn, to occur outside the sunniest parts of the day. Even refueling these items, stripping paint and cleaning with solvents should be reduced or postponed until the hottest and sunniest parts of the day are over.

Reduce waste! Purchase products that are durable, reusable, or use less packaging. These efforts will reduce the pollutants that reach the air during the manufacturing and disposal processes.

Plant trees! Trees use carbon dioxide, replenish oxygen and hold soil in place. Plant deciduous trees (leafless in winter) to shade window glass in the summer while allowing warming winter rays to reach the glass. Plant rows of evergreen trees between the house and the direction of prevailing winter winds to shield the house from winter gusts.

Avoid home insulation containing CFC and use fans instead of air conditioners. If you do use air conditioners, have them pressure checked for leaks. Take unwanted refrigerators or air conditioners to a coolant recycling facility before disposing of them.

Substitute pump sprays for aerosol cans whenever possible. This helps reduce the amount of propellant gases in the air which contribute to ground level ozone.