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Air Quality and Clean Energy Green Energy

Air Quality
Switch on the TV during the hot summer days and you may hear about poor ozone days. What is ozone, why should we pay attention to it, and what can we do to help?

Clean Air Ozone gases occur in the upper atmosphere where they help protect life on earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Continued industrialization and pollution in many parts of the world has led to ozone depletion, which can cause skin cancer and impair our immune system. Ozone depletion can also damage sensitive crops and reduce agricultural yields. Some scientists also believe it is harmful to marine phytoplankton (microscopic algae or bacteria), which forms the base of the ocean food chain. 

Ground level ozone causes harmful concentrations in the air that we breathe, particularly during the summer due to strong sunlight and hot weather. Many urban and suburban areas have high levels of ground ozone and winds can spread emissions from original sources to rural areas, many miles away.

 Air Quality

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Air Quality Guide
Local TV channels such as WBIR-TV10 highlight ozone alert days during weather reports. Understanding the air quality index can protect both your own health and the environment.
During unhealthy forecasts, adopt the following practices:

  • Limit outdoor physical activity
  • Fill your gas tank during cooler evening hours
  • Carpool
  • Use public transportation
  • Avoid using household and garden chemicals

Looking for more information? Download an in-depth air quality index guide in pdf format produced by EPA: EPA Air Quality Guide

Clean Energy
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), driving a car is the single most polluting activity that most people do. But how can we reasonably reduce the use of our vehicles, which appear to be so central to our lifestyles? There are a number of options:

• Reduce Trips - plan ahead and do all your errands at once and save gas too.

• Carpool - reduce the number of miles traveled by sharing trips. The rising price of gas is also making carpooling an attractive economic benefit for many people. Ask your neighbors or work colleagues and car pool at least once a week. Learn more at http://www.knoxsmarttrips.org

• Check your speed - drive at moderate, steady speeds (ideally between 35- 45 mph). Some roads now have reduced speed limits to help reduce emissions.

• Reduce idling times - idling for more than 30 seconds burns more fuel than it takes to restart your engine.

• Maintain your vehicle - poorly maintained vehicles can release as much as 10 times the emissions of a well maintained vehicle.

• Purchase a hybrid vehicle - hybrids use less gas and emit reduced emissions

 


Click the Ijams' Living Clean & Green sky-blue hybrid vehicle to learn more about hybrid technology.

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 Plant a TreePlant a Tree
One person causes about 10 tons of carbon dioxide to be emitted per year. One tree removes about 1 ton of carbon dioxide per year.  

Trees are the lungs of a city; they filter out and store carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases that lead to global warming through ozone depletion. Planting native trees in your back yard is not only good for air quality but also good for wildlife! Two mature trees can provide enough oxygen for a family of four.

Encourage your employer to plant trees at your place of work. Trees can add valuable shade to parking lots since cars parked in the shade give off less harmful emissions that pollute the air.

Recommended Web Links
Knox County Air Quality Management - http://www.knoxcounty.org/airquality/index.php
Regional Air Coalition - http://www.etnrcac.org/
East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition - www.etcleanfuels.org
Knox Smart Trips - http://www.knoxsmarttrips.org/

This resource page is part of Living Clean & Green - a series of environmental education programs and workshops. Programs are held regularly at the nature center or can be scheduled for FREE for your neighborhood association, civic group, or business. Contact Kara Remington at 865-577 4717 ext. 15 or email keast@ijams.org for further information.