10 Simple Ways to Reduce Air Pollution--and SAVE YOU MONEY!

Back to the hippy dippy "we're all connected" idea and we're all sharing air......Highlighted yesterday was the current air quality crisis in Beijing. It's easy to do the "us versus them" argument, but the truth really is we're all in this together. So are we stuck with this polluted, dangerous air? Sort of. Nothing ever really disappears (another hippy dippy thing "green" people always say), but there are many ways to not add to it. 

Part of what is happening in Beijing is they've have had minimal regulations on industry and more importantly are packing in millions of people to a small space. 

As of 2011, they had 20,180,000 people living in the city alone. 20 MILLION. For quick comparison, there are only 620,778 people living in Seattle. If you took all the people that live in Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Nashville and Columbus it is still only a little over 16 million.

That many people in such a small space are a huge impact on the environment as a whole...it  just happens to be visible in the air right now and all over the news. 

SO.....WHAT TO DO?

Beijing has just elected a new mayor and they are looking to put together a "Clean Air Act" to stop adding to the problem and to try to clean the bad air out. The polluted air will do a few things over time: fall into the soil, get eaten up by trees (they are natural filters), catch a wind or ocean current and visit other lands, and some will continue to just hang out in Beijing for awhile. 

The very best things you can do, right now are to educate yourself and reduce your contribution. Know that there isn't someone with a magic vacuum hanging out in the hole in the ozone layer sucking up this bad air. It's here to stay. 

Here are 10 simple ways you can reduce air pollution for yourself and all the rest of us:

1. Limit Use of Lawn Equipment: Electric mowers or manual push mowers pollute less and SAVE YOU MONEY! Quick kudos: Steve Zimmerman has been using a push mower for at least the past 10 years!!!!
2. Avoid Pesticides/Fertilizers: Many fertilizers are a source of nitrous oxide (a greenhouse gas). Check out pesticide free gardening and use compost instead of fertilizer!
3. Compost your yard waste instead of burning it; or chip it and use it for mulch. 
4. Switch to Natural Gas to heat your home. Even the cleanest stoves/fireplaces still emit smoke. 
5. Be energy efficient: Keep your home well-maintained with weather-stripping, storm windows and insulation. Lowering your thermostat will also help. For every 2 degrees you drop it in the winter or raise it in the summer, (SAVING YOU MONEY!)---saves about 2% on your heating bill. 
6. Plant Trees! Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and filter out air pollution. 
7. Maintain Your Car: A well maintained vehicle contributes less pollution and uses less fuel (SAVING YOU MONEY!). 
8. Drive Less: Have you signed up for rTrip yet? Do it here: www.gortrip.com 
9. No More Idling: If you're stopped for more than 30 seconds, except in traffic, turn off your engine. Idling a vehicle for a total of 10 minutes a day uses about 22 gallons of gas a year (and pollutes the air). 
10. Buy the Car You Need: If you only need a small car, buy a small car versus buying a large SUV. The point is to buy the car that fits (not over-fits) your needs. Smaller cars use less gas and contribute less pollution which again.....SAVES YOU MONEY!

These lovely tips brought to you by the Washington State Department of Ecology!