2/23/05

Be Ready for Ozone Season
Improve Air Quality While Saving Money

When Holly Springs heats up during the summer, are you ready to help improve air quality? What if improving air quality could also save you money?

Along with mounting temperatures, levels of ozone and other airborne pollutants can also rise during the warmer months, creating a health concern. Local weather forecasters typically report the anticipated air pollution levels for the day using a color-coded system accepted by state agencies. (See chart below.) On green and yellow days, air quality is healthy. On orange, red and purple days, the air is less healthy, and the day is pegged as an Air Quality Action Day by the NC Division of Air Quality. On these days, locals are encouraged to reduce air pollution by modifying their lifestyles. An added bonus is that many of the ways you can modify your lifestyle to save the air can also save you money.

Below are some ideas recently endorsed by the Wake County Board of Commissioners to consider incorporating into your lifestyle.

On the Road

On days projected to have high ozone levels, consider carpooling or vanpooling to work or to take children to and from school. The Triangle Transit Authority organizes local vanpools, and one travels from town to RTP. For more information, visit www.ridetta.org/vanpool.com. Another local carpooling resource is Share the Ride NC, which operates a website that helps people find others with similar commutes and work hours who are interested in carpooling or vanpooling. Visit www.sharetheridenc.com for more information.

Minimize the number of trips you take by combining errands, walking to lunch or bringing your lunch to work from home. Keep your car tuned and tires properly inflated. Avoid idling your car; park and walk into restaurants and banks instead of using drive-through lanes, and turn off your engine while waiting for family members. Refuel after 6 p.m. on ozone action days.

Report vehicles emitting visible air contaminants for more than five consecutive seconds to http://daq.state.nc.us/motor/smoking.shtml.

At Home

Save energy and reduce air pollution by planting shade trees around your home and using opaque window shades. To increase your cooling system efficiency, replace system filters monthly. Set your thermostat at the highest comfortable setting and use ceiling fans to circulate the air. Close the fireplace damper when it is not in use, and turn off lights and electrical equipment, such as televisions, when they are not in use. Using your microwave for cooking instead of your stove or oven also saves energy.

Maintain live green potted plants. In addition to producing oxygen, the following indoor plants can reduce chemical air pollutants that irritate eyes, noses and throats, cause headaches, and aggravate asthma. Recommended indoor plants include: Weeping Fig, Peace Lily, Golden Pothos, Kentia Palm, Boston Fern, Anthurium, Dragon Tree and Arrow-Leaf Philodendron.

In the yard

Replace gasoline lawn equipment with electric or hand-powered equipment. If using gasoline equipment, cut your grass after 6 p.m. on ozone action days. Reduce your mowing by landscaping with natural areas and planted beds. Don't burn yard waste or garbage, which is not only detrimental to the environment but also illegal in Holly Springs.

For more information on air quality, visit the NC Division of Air Quality website at http://daq.state.nc.us.

Town of Holly Springs - PO Box 8 - 128 South Main Street - Holly Springs, NC 27540 - (919) 552-6221 - Holly.Springs@hollyspringsnc.us