Ozone season is here, despite this morning's spring storm! So what does that mean for you? It means it’s time to put the clean air habits you’ve learned about to use. Not sure what resources are available to help you take action during ozone season? Continue reading to learn more about clean air tips and resources as we warm up from winter.
Find the Right Travel Strategy
Figuring out the best way to reduce your carbon footprint while catering to your own needs can be difficult, but we’ve got some recommendations that might help.
Cozy up at Home
Working in the office contributes quite a bit of pollution to our atmosphere because of commutes. If you have the option to telecommute, you’ll be reducing emissions during ozone season and beyond if you can consistently do so.
Telecommuting offers a more flexible work environment, better productivity, and will save you money on gas over time.
You can also log your commutes with Try Parking It to earn rewards.
Take a Carpool or Transit
Both carpooling and public transit offer easy ways to avoid emissions during one of the most important times of the year. Not sure what the advantages of taking this route might be? Learn more here.
DART, DCTA, and Trinity Metro all offer commuter services throughout most of DFW, and each have affordable commuter pass options. If you’d like to learn more about service options in your region, look here.
Reduce Idling and Maintain Your Vehicle
Did you know that idling while you wait for someone, or something can waste up to a gallon an hour? That’s money out the window!
Making sure you stay on top of vehicle maintenance can also play a role in how you contribute to our air quality. Vehicles that fail to be maintained may suffer from lower fuel efficiency, meaning more consumption is required, leading to higher emissions.
If you’re looking for more tips on how to get the most out of your gas mileage, and other vehicle information, look here.
Save Water and Electricity
The way we use water and electricity can have a major impact on our footprint, especially during ozone season, so it’s important to take steps to reduce it.
North Texas is prone to drought, and saving water helps both our air quality and water supply stay healthy.
Taking shorter showers and limiting baths will also help to reduce the amount of energy used to heat your water, as well as limit water use.
It’s also important to think about how you use your appliances to conserve water as well. The less you use your dishwasher and washing machine, the easier it is to conserve both water and electricity. Try to use your appliances when you have a full load ready to go if possible. You can learn more about conserving electricity here.
Turning off your lights and making sure not to crank your air conditioning up or down are simple steps you can take but caring for your landscape is important too. Overwatering wastes water, so learn about your local watering rules here.
Now that you’ve read a little bit about what you can do this ozone season, share what you’ve learned with your friends! Join us at www.airnorthtexas.org/signup to commit to clean air actions and improving our air quality.
It takes one small step to start building clean air habits, take your step today!