Tips for Clean Air

What One Person Can Do: Top Ten Tips for Cleaner Air and a Healthier Planet

Keep in mind that your choices in two areas – energy use and transportation – will determine your personal contribution to the problems of air pollution and global climate change. Changing these choices will help address these problems!

1. Drive less: Walk, bike, or take the bus or train instead of driving solo whenever you can. For more information check out Santa Barbara Car Free.
2. Use less electricity through energy-efficient products and habits as well as thinking about installing solar panels or a passive solar water heater.
3. When you do drive: combine car trips, carpool, keep your car tuned up, keep your tire pressures up, and don’t top off your tank at the gas station. If you are looking to buy a new car see the benefits of Clean-Air Cars.
4. Use less toxic products, such as for household cleaning, painting, washing clothes, or dealing with pests or weeds.
5. Shop local to reduce energy use and pollution from transportation of products.
      
6. Shop sustainable to consider product lifecycle: production, use, and disposal.
7. Save your fireplace or wood stove for special occasions (see Cleaner Fireplace Burning for tips). Install and use a gas log if you can.
8. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
9. Use a broom instead of a leaf blower and if you use a landscaping service, try to make sure it follows green practices.
10. Learn more and share what you learn. See other pages on this website: Today’s Air Quality,  Pollutants and Our Health, Climate Change.  Know a teacher?  Tell him or her about our grants program.  Know someone with a diesel engine? Tell him or her about our funds for cleaner engines.
        

For more info, download factsheet (PDF file) in English: What Can One Person Do?  or en español: Lo que una Persona puede Hacer por un Aire Limpio. Also see  tips from District staff.

Other useful websites:

• For alternative transportation ideas and resources: Santa Barbara Car Free or Traffic Solutions.
• For energy-saving tips and resources: South Coast Energy Wise or  PG&E
• Finding a Green Gardener service: Green Gardener.

A few other ideas:

• Work from home one day a week.
• Use a mechanical indoor air cleaner.
• Report idling vehicles.
• Find out more about air pollution and lung health
• Find additional information on the California Air Resources Board website