Ozone Action Days Good for Health

The top ten tips for individuals, which I'm unashamedly stealing from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (which mimics other Ozone Action Day web sites) are these:

1. Limit driving. Car pool, bike, walk.

2. Only refuel your car after 7 p.m. Escaping gasoline fumes add to the ozone problem.

3. Don't idle your car. Stop and start it when you're ready to go because idling uses more fuel.

4. Don't use drive-through windows where you are forced to idle.

5. Use your gas-powered garden vehicles and hand tools after 7 p.m. when the temperature drops and fewer people are driving.

6. Keep your car tuned and your tires properly filled. Well-maintained vehicles are less likely to produce excess emissions.

7. Take your lunch to work rather than driving somewhere.

8. Use an electric or chimney-type fire starter instead of lighter fluid when you barbecue.

9. Don't use oil-based paints, solvents, cleaners or varnishes. They give off vapors that add to the ozone problem.

10. Conserve energy in the house to reduce energy needs. Shut your blinds and close off rooms that don't need to be air conditioned. Turn off unneeded lights and appliances.

For more information and to find out whether your metropolitan region is an ozone alert area, run an AltaVista or Infoseek search on "Ozone Action" and "Ozone Partners."

Example sites include the ones from Indiana Department of Environmental Management and Maryland Ozone Action Days.

If you want a set of excellent references, try Maryland's Adobe PDF files.

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