EEK! -What can YOU do?

What can YOU do?

There are lots of things you can do on an Air Quality Watch Day to keep ozone levels down. Keep this list handy for Air Quality Watch or Advisory Days this summer, and share it with friends and family!

[activities]

Turn off appliances you aren't using. This includes lights, stereos, computers, and TVs. Better yet, do something inside that doesn't require electricity, like playing a board game. Saving energy means that coal-burning and other types of power plants will emit less pollution by not having to produce as much electricity.
Ask your parents to buy energy efficient light bulbs and appliances.
If you have air-conditioning ask your parents to set the thermostat at 72 degrees or higher.
Bike, walk, carpool, rollerblade, skateboard, or ride the bus to get wherever you need to go.
Encourage your family to do all your errands on the same trip to save gas and to avoid lots of 'cold starts'. Car engines use more gas to warm up after being allowed to sit for a while and cool down than they use while driving.
Encourage your parents to turn off the engine when they stop the car for a short time. Leaving a car idling creates more pollution and uses more gas than starting it up again after you've stopped.
Use a push mower or an electric mower instead of a gas-powered lawn mower. If you have to use a gas-powered mower, wait until after 6 p.m.
Don't operate motorboats, jet skis, or ATVs (all-terrain vehicles like three wheelers).
Keep paint lids on tight, and use water-based paint instead of oil-based paint.
Summer is barbecue season! Ask your parents to avoid using lighter fluid to light the grill. Use a "chimney" instead.
Avoid using aerosol cans - many contain VOCs as the propellant.
Plant trees - they help clean the air!
Don't burn leaves or trash.

Now that you've read the list of things to do, test your knowledge by playing the Hot Summer Days Quizzler.