You Can Help Keep the Air Cleaner -- Every Day!

Air pollution can affect your health and the environment.  There are actions every one of us can take to reduce air pollution and keep the air cleaner, and precautionary measures you can take to protect your health.

These guides will help you determine ways to protect your family's health when ozone or particle pollution levels reach the unhealthy range, and ways you can help reduce air pollution.

Choose a cleaner commute — car pool, use public transportation, bike or walk when possible. Combine errands to reduce "cold starts" of your car and avoid extended idling. Be sure your tires are properly inflated. Keep car, boat and other engines properly tuned, and avoid engines that smoke. Follow gasoline refueling instructions for efficient vapor recovery. Be careful not to spill fuel and always tighten your gas cap securely. EPA: What You Can Do -- Drive Wise Don't Top Off Your Gas Tank It All Adds Up To Cleaner Air National Rideshare Directory Best Workplaces for Commuters The Green Vehicle Guide Boating Pollution Prevention Tips Drive Clean Across Texas

Use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products whenever possible. Some products that you use at your home or office are made with smog-forming chemicals that can evaporate into the air when you use them. Follow manufacturers' recommendations for use and properly seal cleaners, paints, and other chemicals to prevent evaporation into the air. Conserve electricity. Consider setting your thermostat a little higher in the summer and lower in winter. Participate in local energy conservation programs. Look for the ENERGY STAR label when buying home or office equipment. Consider using gas logs instead of wood. If you use a wood-burning stove or fireplace insert, make sure it meets EPA design specifications. Burn only dry, seasoned wood. ENERGY STAR How Wood Burning and Temperature Inversions Impact Air Quality Areas with Wood Burning Restrictions Clean Burning Wood Stoves and Fireplaces EPA: What You Can Do -- At Home

Mulch or compost leaves and yard waste. EPA: Give an Inch, Save a Yard: Grasscycling and Mulching Green Landscaping with Native Plants Your Yard and Clean Air (PDF) Michigan DEQ: Clean Air Lawn Care(PDF)

Days when ozone is expected to be high:

Conserve electricity and set your air conditioner at a higher temperature. Choose a cleaner commute—share a ride to work or use public transportation. Bicycle or walk to errands when possible. Refuel cars and trucks after dusk. Combine errands and reduce trips. Limit engine idling. Use household, workshop,and garden chemicals in ways that keep evaporation to a minimum, or try to delay using them when poor air quality is forecast. Pesticides

Days when particle pollution is expected to be high:

Reduce or eliminate fireplace and wood stove use. Avoid using gas-powered lawn and garden equipment. Avoid burning leaves, trash and other materials.

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