How to Make a Big Impact: Air

As we have been discussing over the past few weeks, with all the restraints put on people, money, time, access, the secret to making change may be to focus on the big stuff. So, if you only invested in one green initiative this year, what should it be? What actions make the biggest impact?

We started with energy, moved on to water and now we address the issue of air quality. Every time you get into your car and drive to work, every time you turn on your heater or air conditioner, or even clean your counter tops, you make choices that effect air quality. What kind of effects? Well there’s some good news here. According to GreenLiving’s Air Pollution Statistics:

• Americans have reduced toxic releases by more than 50 million tons since 1970.
• Currently, it would take 20 of today’s new automobiles to release the same number of emissions as a 1960s model.
• Carbon monoxide emissions (CO) have decreased by 33 percent. Forty-one fewer tons are being produced per year as a result of current efforts. Much of these emissions are from cars, trucks, buses, lawn and construction equipment.
• Dropping 14 million tons per year, volatile organic compound emissions have decreased by 42 percent. VOC emissions are a factor in the formation of the ozone layer.

So problem solved, right? Not by a long shot. Although the issue of air pollution has really come to the forefront as of late, it doesn’t mean it’s an issue that is being taken care of completely. But where does just one person start? When almost every action of daily life can affect the air in which we breathe, knowing where to begin seems a bit overwhelming.

In order to have the largest effect on air quality, let’s shift our focus on three major areas:

1. What Products You Buy
2. How Much Energy You Use
3. What You Drive

What Products You Buy

Paints that are low in VOC are becoming more popular and easier to find. Photo:Ecobob.co.nz

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released through the use of household consumer products including cleaning products, personal care products and a some insecticides. According to the EPA, “VOCs contribute significantly to the formation of ground-level ozone (smog). Exposure to ground-level ozone can damage lung tissue and cause serious respiratory illness. In addition, ground-level ozone can cause serious damage to agricultural crops.”

Since products have the potential to do damage, it’s important to have some priorities to take with you when you shop for them. The California Air Resource Board offers up some much needed advice:

• Select products that are water-based or have low amounts of VOCs
• Use water-based paints. Look for paints labeled zero-VOC
• Paint with a brush, not a sprayer
• Store solvents in air-tight containers
• Use a push or electric lawn mower

How Much Energy You Use

Another area of air pollution to be aware of is energy use. Although reducing your energy use is good for a whole gamut of reasons, it’s effect on air quality is yet another one to keep in mind. According to MidAmericanEnergy.com, “When fossil fuels are burned to produce energy, carbon dioxide is released. Carbon dioxide is one of the gases that cause the greenhouse effect. These gases act like a thin film that keeps heat from the sun inside our atmosphere.”

The California Air Resource Board also offers some quick things to keep in mind for energy conservation:

• Turn off the lights when you leave a room
• Replace energy-hungry incandescent lights with fluorescent lighting
• Check with your utility company for energy conservation tips
• Use a programmable thermostat that automatically turns off the air conditioner or heater when you don’t need them
• Add insulation to your home
• Use a fan instead of air conditioning
• Use an EPA-approved wood burning stove or fireplace insert
• Microwave small meals
• Insulate your water heater

The Elephant in the Room: What You Drive

Perhaps the biggest change you can make is taking a look at what gets you from Point A to Point B. One of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions is the millions of vehicles on the road daily.

Information: Driveclean.ca.gov

For example, according to Coast Economic Localization Link (CELL), a person living in an energy-efficient home uses an average of 10 kWh daily for lights and appliances and releases an estimated 200 pounds of carbon emissions each year to the atmosphere. The same person driving a SUV 50 miles per day uses about 200 kWh daily and contributes a staggering 40,000 pounds of carbon emissions annually to the atmosphere.

“Increasing transportation efficiency is clearly the best place to focus our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” writes Steve Heckeroth for CELL.

While an electric car may not be a feasible purchase, there are still other vehicles you can consider that carry a lower price tag but are still more eco-friendly than the bulky SUV.

In addition to the Top 10 Cleanest Cars, there are other resources you can check out for more information. Driveclean.ca.gov has a cool search tool that allows users to find a car by make/model, category, technology type and/or smog level.

What States are Doing

Some states are already making strides to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. The California Clean Car Law of 2002 set standards to new vehicles and requires declining fleetwide emissions. While the law doesn’t call for dramatic changes, it’s estimated that the Clean Cars program will still reduce the greenhouse emission from passenger cars by 18 percent in 2020 and up to 27 percent by 2030.

The law is designed to access technologies, methods and cleaner fuels currently available in order to reduce the emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and hydroflurocarbons. In order to carry out the law, California will set strict standards and will also receive a waiver from the EPA.

While California is currently the only state that has set its own motor vehicle emission standards, several other states have adopted the Clean Car Law including Arizona, Washington, New Jersey, New Mexico and Oregon.

Keeping Tabs

To help consumers understand what new vehicles put out in terms of smog and greenhouse gases, the Environmental Performance Label was developed as an updated version of what use to be referred to as the Smog Index Level. Located on all new cars sold in California as of January 1, 2009, this label informs consumers on how a car stacks up.

Smog Score

According to Driveclean, “smog is a haze-like form of air pollution produced by the photochemical reaction of sunlight with volatile organic compounds (including non-methane organic gases) and oxides of nitrogen that have been released into the atmosphere, especially by automobile operation.”

The smog score is a ranking of each vehicle’s pollutant levels of non-methane organic gases and oxides of nitrogen compared to all other vehicles within the current model year. The scores range from 1 to 10, with 10 representing the cleanest. Beginning in 1998, California began printing the Smog Index Level on all of its new cars in order to determine how each car rates when it comes to air pollution.

Global Warming Score

Greenhouse gases emitted from vehicles include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and hydroflurocarbons. Greenhouse gas emissions are the sum of all the greenhouse has emissions and are identified as the CO2-equivalent value. According to Driveclean, the Global Warming score is based on the sum of a vehicle’s greenhouse gas emissions.