Earth Day 2003 - Protecting our Air

Region 8 Library Pages

Technical Library - Environmental Information Center

Honor the Earth with One Small Change

Reducing Air Emissions

The Environmental Information Service Center (EISC) has received many phone calls and e-mails from people who are concerned about the environment, but they believe that any individual actions they take will not be make much of a difference. In response to these concerns, EISC has developed four fact sheets that outline small steps an individual can take to help improve the environment.

(1) Reducing air emissions;
(2) Reducing pesticide and herbicide use;
(3) Reducing solid and hazardous waste; and
(4) Protecting the water supply

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Concerns about air emissions

Air pollution can adversely affect our health in a variety of ways. Nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide from the tail pipes of vehicles and power plant smokestacks can irritate our lungs and make breathing difficult. Nitrogen oxides also combine with elements of unburned fuel to form ozone, a contaminant that damages lung tissue as well as vegetation. These contaminants are especially problematic for children and senior citizens.

Vehicles and power plants and other human activities also generate carbon dioxide which is a primary greenhouse gas responsible for the change in our climate known as global warming. In 1997, the United States emitted about one-fifth of total greenhouse gases on the planet.

Motor vehicle exhaust and industrial emissions, gasoline vapors, and chemical solvents are some of the major sources of ozone. Repeated exposure to ozone pollution may cause permanent damage to the lungs. Even when ozone levels are present in low levels, inhaling it triggers a variety of health problems including chest pains, coughing, nausea, throat irritation, and congestion.

Small changes to reduce air emissions

One source of air pollution is the fossil fuel we burn to power our vehicles, generate electricity and heat our homes. Fortunately, there are many things we can do as individuals to decrease the amount of fossil fuel we cause to be burned.

Transportation

When buying a new car, choose the cleanest and most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets your needs. EPA's Green Vehicle Guide can help you make your selection.
Instead of driving to work every day, take an alternate mode of transportation. By walking, biking, or taking mass transit to work, you could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,500 pounds a year.

Home Energy Use

Insulate your home, tune up your furnace and install low flow shower heads. By taking these simple actions, you could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2,400 pounds/year.
Replace your current washing machine with a low-energy, low-water use model, such as those certified by EPA's Energy Star program: www.energystar.gov. With this simple action, you can decrease carbon dioxide releases by 440 pounds a year.
Replace your home's refrigerator with a high efficiency model and decrease carbon dioxide releases by 220 pounds a year. The Energy Star web site identifies refrigerators and other appliances that meet energy efficiency standards.
Enroll in a green energy program. Under such programs you pay a surcharge to assure that some or all of your energy is generated by renewable resources such as wind, solar or biomass. These programs typically charge $2-3 a month for a "100 kilowatt-hour" block of renewable energy (most commonly from wind generation). The average household consumes between 500 and 600 kilowatt hours/month.
Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. These bulbs use 75% less energy than standard bulbs. These bulbs are more expensive, but will pay for themselves, on average, in less than two years.
Plant deciduous trees near your house to provide shade in summer and let in light during the winter.
Install programmable thermostats that will automatically turn down the heat in the daytime when no one is around and during the night when you are sleeping.
Look for the "Energy Star" label when you buy new appliances. Depending on the appliance, products with the label will consume 13 to 40% less energy than the minimum federal standards: www.energystar.gov.

Most importantly don't get overwhelmed by all this information. Very few people can make all of these changes at once. But do what you can, when you can, and some day soon we could all be breathing easier.

Did you decide to make one small change to reduce air emissions? If so, please send us an e-mail describing what small change you intend to make: r8eisc@epa.gov. We will send you a response e-mail summarizing the cumulative benefits to the environment from your small change. We will show you how powerful one person can be.

Return to Honor the Earth home page.

Environmental Information Service Center
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region
1595 Wynkoop Street, 8OC-L
Denver, CO 80202-2466
Phone: (303) 312-6312