What You Can Do for Cleaner Air

When we take action in response to an air pollution advisory, we help protect our health and ensure compliance with federal health standards for air pollution. There are a number of things that you and your families, as individuals, can do to keep the air you breathe cleaner. Here are some tips to reduce pollution from cars, woodstoves, mowers, paint and aerosol sprays.

Wintertime

• Use your woodstove less. Don't burn on poor air quality days. Use an alternative source of heat. If a woodstove is your only sources of heat, see these tips in our Wood smoke Factsheet to burn as cleanly as possible.
• For further information on woodstoves visit our Woodstove program page.

Summertime

• Refuel vehicles in the cooler evening hours and avoid spilling gasoline. Gasoline vapors released during refueling contribute to ozone formation. When released early in the day, vapors are "cooked" in the sunlight and turn into ozone/smog. The sunlight is less intense by early evening, so fewer vapors turn into ozone.
• Wait until the day cools off to use gasoline-powered mowers and garden equipment.
• Cut down the use of spray pesticides. Any material sprayed onto a lawn can end up in the air and add to the toxics in the air. Avoid spraying on a hot or windy day and look into other methods that require less pesticide use, like the Healthy Lawns initiative.

Any season

• Turn off the engine if your vehicle is parked or waiting in line for more than 10 seconds and it is safe to do so: it saves gasoline, engine wear and air quality. Ten seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it.
• Drive less. Plan errands ahead to get all the running around done in one trip or take the bus.
• Use a bike or walk.
• Carpool, take the bus, or use other public transportation.
• Pack a lunch. At lunch time, brown-bag, use the cafeteria or walk to a restaurant.
• Telecommute or teleconference. Working at home and using the phone saves fuel and time.
• Use manual tools that don't require gasoline or electric engines.
• Avoid using hair spray, air freshener, solvents and oil based paint. These contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which are smog-forming chemicals.
• Use natural gas or propane barbecues, or use electric charcoal lighters or chimney starters instead of charcoal lighter fluids.
• Conserve electricity. Do not overcool or overheat your home. Turn off lights and appliances that are not in use. Wash clothes and dishes with full loads and close blinds during the day to keep the house cooler

Long term actions

• Support Ecological Businesses. Patronize certified businesses that minimize their impact on the environment. In Oregon there are currently certified businesses in car repair, body shops, and landscaping.
• Buy Renewable Power. Renewable power reduces our dependence on oil and coal and encourages investment in cleaner energy solutions. Contact your electricity provider to investigate your greener options: PGE, Pacific Power, Energy Trust of Oregon
• Buy energy efficient appliances. Energy Star rated products are designed to use less energy and pollute less.
• Use zero or low VOC paint. Paints and finishes that are low in VOCs (volatile organic compounds) give off less formaldehyde and heavy metals than normal paint.
• Change your landscaping to reduce mowing time. Use low-maintenance turf grasses or grass/flower seed mixtures that grow slowly and require less mowing. Check with your local agricultural extension service or lawn and garden center about what is appropriate for your region.
• Maintain your equipment. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for maintenance. Change oil and clean or replace air filters regularly. Use the proper fuel/oil mixture in two-stroke equipment. Get periodic tune-ups, maintain sharp mower blades, and keep the underside of the deck clean. Winterize equipment each fall.
• Recycle old equipment. Instead of selling or giving away your old lawn and garden power tools, take them to a recycling center where they can be converted into raw material for use in cleaner equipment and other products.
• Consider cleaner equipment. Ask your dealer about the new, cleaner gasoline equipment entering the marketplace. Propane and solar options are also available for some types of equipment. Electrically powered lawn and garden tools produce essentially no pollution from exhaust emissions or through fuel evaporation.
• When purchasing a vehicle: Check EPA's Fuel Economy Guide to see how the vehicle ranks in terms of fuel efficiency. Or, consider purchasing a hybrid-electric vehicle.

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