Prevent Pollution

>>Transportation Tips

>>Simple ways to reduce air pollution this summer

>>Five more summer pollution prevention tips

You can help reduce air pollution by making simple changes in your daily life. To find out how much pollution you’re producing in the world right now, use this emissions calculator. Here are some steps you can take to make a difference:


On the Road:

  • Avoid topping off your gas tank when you fill it.
  • Buy radial tires for your car and keep them properly inflated.
  • Keep your car well-tuned and support the state's smog-check program.
  • The dirtiest vehicles found on our roadways contribute about 40% of the total automotive pollution. Report polluters. [link to pop-up for rest] If you notice a smoking vehicle on the roadway, help protect our air and health by reporting it. The information that you need to have available includes: license plate number, make and model, time, date, and location. To report heavily polluting vehicles, please call one of the numbers:

    South Coast AQMD (Los Angeles, Orange Co., Riverside, San Bernadino)
    1-800-CUT-SMOG
    SF Bay area AQMD 1-800-EXHAUST
    San Diego County APCD 1-800-28-SMOKE
    San Joaquin Valley Unified APCD 1-800-559-9AIR
    Shasta County AQMD 1-888-249-SMOG
    Ventura County APCD 1-800-559-SMOG

    For all other areas call the California Air Resources Board at
    1-800-END-SMOG.

    Many cellular phone users throughout California can now dial "#smog" to report smoking vehicles. This call is free of airtime charges in most areas. Your call will automatically be routed to the proper air quality agency. This service is provided by your cellular carrier, your local air pollution control district and the California Air Resources Board.

  • Drive Less. Use public transit, carpool, ride a bike, or walk whenever possible. And call-around before you run errands. Does the store really have that thing you need? If you can reduce trips you can save money, time, and cut air pollution.
  • When you buy a car, consider purchasing an electric, hybrid, or very-low emission vehicle. Look at the DriveClean website for more details.



At Home

  • Conserve Energy -- turn off lights and appliances when you leave the room.
  • Check the energy efficiency ratings of refrigerators and other appliances when you buy them. Try to avoid cranking up the air conditioner on a warm day or the heater on a cool day. Look at this website for emission information for thousands of products.
  • Use compact fluorescent light bulbs wherever possible in your home. They screw into standard sockets, but use about a quarter of the energy of a standard bulb for the same amount of light. And they last 10 times longer! Ask for them at your hardware or home specialty store.
  • Paint with water-based latex paints, not oil-based. It's easier, and much less polluting. Drying paint releases more smog-forming fumes than all the areas' oil refineries and gas stations combined. Buy paint low in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC's). Close the paint lids tightly when not in use. Use brushes and rollers rather than spray painting, which helps prevent both smog formation and your exposure to air toxics.
  • Avoid using lighter fluid to start your barbecue. Cleaner, less-expensive alternatives are available such as metal chimneys using newspaper tinder, or electric probes. Even less polluting are barbecues fired by propane or natural gas.
  • Don't use gasoline-powered garden equipment such as lawnmowers or leaf-blowers. Push mowers are best, but electric mowers are much better than mowers that run on gasoline. Use rakes and brooms instead of leaf blowers. Ask your gardener to do the same. That way, you'll reduce both air and noise pollution in your neighborhood.
  • Choose professional "wet-cleaning" instead of dry cleaning, and try to buy clothes that don't require dry cleaning. Dry cleaning uses a toxic chemical that is emitted into the air. List of wet cleaners.
  • More tips!



In Your Community

  • Urge your elected officials to support clean air legislation.
  • Support national and state efforts to require better fuel economy and emission standards for all cars, sports utility vehicles (SUVs), and light and heavy-duty trucks, and insist on the continued production and sale of Zero-Emission Vehicles (ZEVs).
  • Share these tips with your friends and neighbors and encourage them to help clean the air.
  • Join organizations like the Coalition for Clean Air that stand up for your health and safety.