There is plenty we can do to improve air quality. Every time we use electricity, we require power plants to work harder, meaning more toxic emissions are released into the air. And every time we drive our cars, we are adding to the noxious mix of air pollutants. If we take some simple steps each and every day in our own lives, we can all have healthier, cleaner, fresher air around us.
1. PARK IN THE SHADE: Heat makes fumes from gasoline vent into the air even when your car isn’t running. The results of parking in the shade lowers the temperature of gas tanks by four to seven degrees. That’s enough to lower emissions by two percent over all.
2. PLANT TREES IN YOUR YARD: They’ll shade your house so you will use less of the air conditioner. Not only that but their leaves will absorb ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and other pollutants from the air.
3. AVOID IONIZING AIR CLEANERS: These machines use an electric charge to extract dirty particles from the air, but they also create levels of ozone well above EPA standards. Same with ionizing hair dryers.
4. FLIP THE SWITCH: Plug electronics such as TVs, DVD players, VCRs, home theater equpiment, and steros into power strips, and turn off the devices’ power switch when you’re not using them. If everyone in the country did this, we would save more than $3 billion a year on electricity.
5. BUY ENERGY STAR PRODUCTS: TVs, appliances, lightbulb, and hurnaces that bear the Energy Star seal meet strict energy efficiency standards. They ultimately save you money and use less power over-all.
6. DO THE DOLLAR TEST: Close your refrigerator door on a dollar bill and make sure your need to give a firm tug to out. If it slips out easily, you door gaskets don’t seal tightly enough, which means a huge electricity waste.
7. CALL YOUR UTILITY AND ASK FOR GREE POWER: Some companies give you the option of getting your pwoer from nonpolluting sources, like wind or sun. You will still get the dame electricity delivered the same way, but your request affects where your utility company buys their power from the grid.
8. FILL YOUR GAS TANK IN THE EVENING: When the sun goes down and the air cools, fewer fumes will evaporate during pumping, and any that escape won’t be cooked into the ozone.
9. DRIVE A HOT CAR: Try to run all your errands back-to-back, Starting a warm engine pullutes up to five times less than one that’s been sitting for more than an hour.
10. PRACTICE UPKEEP: Make sure your car gets regular tune-ups and oil changes. Also keeping tires at the right inflation helps your car and the environment due to loss of less gas.
*GreenTip: More than 50% of fine dining and 25% of casual eateries offer at least one organic item. quotes the National Restaurant Association. So the next time you are “out to eat” ask for the organic item and if you are lucky they may have more then one item.