According to the American Lung Association, the number of cases of pediatric and adult asthma, COPD, and cardiovascular disease in Pima County amounts to over 200,000. Chances are you know someone who has one of these ailments. By skipping a commute trip in your motor vehicle each week and carpooling, taking transit or riding a bike instead, you can reduce air pollution by more than 1,098 pounds a year and help keep the air healthy for those you care about.
What is in that air pollution that we create by driving our motor vehicles to and from work each day? A slew of harmful pollutants including carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and carbon dioxide taint the air each time we start up our engines. To be exact, there are about 21.12 pounds of contaminants put in the air every time we burn a gallon of gasoline. If we pick one day a week for a “no-drive day,” we can save about a half ton of pollution every year. That savings keeps the air cleaner and helps our neighbors, friends, and loved ones stay much healthier.
For more information about ways to help reduce air pollution, visit the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Air Program website.