Year-round air quality

Here you will find information about:

• What's the big deal about air pollution?
• Isn't air quality improving?
• Why save it for a windy day?
• What should I know about weather and air pollution?
• What can I do in winter?
• What can I do in summer?
• What can I do in every season?

What's the big deal about air pollution?

Polluted air doesn't just look bad, it's also unhealthy. That's why doctors and scientists help the government determine at what concentration pollution levels can harm most people. These levels are called the federal air quality standards. They are designed to protect the majority of our population.

Like many things that impact our health, air pollution affects different people in different ways. Some people are more sensitive and will begin to feel health impacts at levels well below the air quality standards.

Isn't air quality improving?

Over the years, our air quality has steadily improved, largely because new technology, improved industrial processes and regulatory enforcement have cleaned up the most obvious sources of pollution -- business and industry. New auto emission controls have been equally significant in reducing pollution.

Why save it for a windy day?

Simply put, our air can become unhealthy when we don't have enough wind to disperse the daily pollution that we all produce with activities like driving, heating with wood or burning yard waste.

These weather conditions can make the air healthy for everyone, especially people who are more sensitive, like your children or elderly parents or grandparents. People with respiratory conditions, like asthma, are especially at risk.

Since the weather can't cooperate with our desire to have clean air every day, we need to find ways to do it ourselves.

As a region, we need to adapt so our air shed can handle the eventual pollution increases that will be caused by growth. More people driving greater distances, using wood heating or burning outdoors could overcome the gains we have made in clearing the air.

What should I know about weather and air pollution?

If we all paid attention to weather conditions that are conducive to increasing pollution levels and modified a few of our daily activities, we could prevent pollution levels from rising.

Some things to keep in mind:

• Cars produce the majority of two of the three most prevalent types of air pollution in our region.
  
• Wood smoke produces the majority of the third type of air pollution in our region.
  
• A cold engine produces more than twice as much pollution as a warm one.
  
• Idling produces twice as much pollution as stopping your your engine and restarting it while it's still warm.
  
• New cars use less fuel and produce much less pollution than older cars.
  
• Mowing for one hour with a gas-powered lawn mower makes as much pollution as driving from the Kingdome to the Tacoma Dome and back.

What can I do in winter?

Listen to weather reports. Inversions of more than a day or two in winter are a warning sign that air pollution levels are rising. Cold, still air traps pollution close to the ground.

You should try:

• Replacing pre-1988 uncertified wood stoves with cleaner, more efficient EPA-certified wood or pellet stoves. Natural gas and propane are even better.
• Burning compressed sawdust logs or pellets rather than wood.
• Drying your firewood at least six months before using it.

What can I do in summer?

Inversions in summer, coupled with temperatures in the 90s, can raise pollution to harmful levels. Especially when temperatures soar, you should consider doing things differently.

You should try:

• Refueling during cooler evening hours.
• Making sure your gas cap seals properly.
• Waiting until temperatures decrease and breezes pick up before mowing the lawn or using gas-powered garden equipment.
• Using non-gasoline recreational equipment, like a sailboat instead of a motorboat, on really hot days.

What can I do in every season?

• Carpooling, taking transit, walking, biking, skating or telecommuting.
• "Triplinking" or combining quick errands so your car's engine doesn't cool off between errands.
• Warming up your car by driving slowly for a few minutes rather than letting it idle.
• Driving your newest vehicle
• Keeping your vehicles tuned up, especially the emission-control equipment.
• Replacing your vehicle's air filters regularly.
• Shopping through mail order catalogues.
• Chipping or composting yard waste.

Updated July 20, 1999

Puget Sound Clean Air Agency