4 ways to help reduce air pollution in your neighborhood
MINNEAPOLIS -- Air quality and air pollution have never been more top of mind as we deal with the impacts of far-away fires.
"There's definitely a lot of people not only interested in air pollution but wanting to dig deeper into the data and understand trends and numbers compared to previous years," said David Brown, Air Quality Meteorologist with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Minnesotans are also looking to adapt and help in their own small ways.
"I think where the public has more of an impact on pollution is with ground level ozone because that forms from pollutants like oxides and nitrogen and volatile organic compounds," said Brown.
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At ground level, ozone harms people and plants. It's mostly released by our cars.
To have the biggest impact, the first tip: Drive less. Idle less. The second potential source of air pollution to consider -- your lawnmower.
"In terms of the amount of emissions that are generated for the amount of time you're using that thing, it's much more than, say, driving a car," explained Brown.
An hour of gas-powered mower use can produce nearly the same amount of pollution as a 100-mile car trip from the Twin Cities to Albert Lea.
On top of that, the EPA estimates that over 17 million gallons of gasoline is spilled as garden equipment is refueled each year. That's more than the 11 million gallons of oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez.
Electric lawnmowers and other yard tools are an easy way to cut pollution.
The third thing you can do now -- avoid backyard burning.
"Backyard fires can contribute to local, very local air quality issue any time of year," said Brown.
The contribution is even larger when we're dealing with smoke from wildfires.
Finally, use less energy. Efficient appliances, heating and cooling can make a difference. An energy audit is a great place to start.
"I don't think people shouldn't be intimidated by the small, incremental improvements that each of us can make. If we're all doing it, it all adds up," said Brown.
