What’s the most important thing you can do on Air Quality Action Days this summer? Yes, definitely
check the AQ forecast found at www.airqualitypartnership.org every day! But after that? The most
important action you can take is to drive your car as little as possible. See, exhaust from motor vehicles
ends up “baking” in the heat of high temperatures and still air. That produces ground-level ozone, which
is harmful to breathe. And it’s especially serious for those with respiratory conditions like asthma and
emphysema, and for children and seniors who have reduced lung capacity.
Instead of driving everywhere, try taking transit! If you have a bus route, trolley, subway, or regional rail
station near you, this is the easiest change you can make. If not, try walking if the destination is nearby.
Or maybe bike instead. (But with these two options, be careful not to exert yourself in the heat, and
keep those most vulnerable family members indoors if possible.)
If none of those work for you, and you have to drive, you can still help by remembering and following
these easy tips:
● Find someone to carpool with, to reduce the number of vehicles on the road. (You can go to
www.pacommute.org for more information.)
● Try to link your trips – run all your errands at once or tag them onto another outing. Fewer cold
starts is better for our air.
● Try to fill your gas tank early in the morning or late in the evening, when the sun isn’t at its
hottest. And stop at the click–don’t “top off” your tank.
● Don’t idle! This wastes gas and money, and pollutes the air.
● Remove any unnecessary items in your trunk – time to clean out and lighten the load! The less
weight your car carries, the more efficient it is.
You can reduce air pollution at home by postponing lawn work–if you use a gasoline powered mower or
leaf blower–until the AQ forecast is better. And as always, to help conserve energy, try to run air
conditioners on a reasonable temperature and only in rooms that are used most frequently. For home
improvements, use paints and solvents that are low in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) so “off-
gassing” (which contributes to poor air quality) is lower.
Last, let’s take care of each other–help spread the word about daily AQ forecasts and the voluntary
actions almost everyone can take to help, especially on AQ Action Days. Every small change can add
up to big improvements in our air, and in our health.
For a quick way to check daily air quality, scroll down on our landing page, bookmark it to check each day. Air quality data provided by our friends at the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.