The air around us not only has a direct impact on the state of the environment, but also on our health.  Polluted air can cause irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat as well as cause breathing difficulties, worsening of lung and heart conditions, and increase your risk of a heart attack.  Here are some things you can do to create cleaner air for everyone!

• Choose walking and biking over driving when at all possible. If you have to drive somewhere, consider carpooling with a friend, or better yet, take public transit.
• Ensure your home is energy efficient! Turn down the thermostat (this one shouldn’t be difficult for us Texans, especially with summer months coming up), lower your water temperature to 120˚F or lower, use “Energy Star” label products and equipment, make sure your home is well insulated, turn unused appliances or equipment off and unplug appliances when not in use.
• Avoid backyard burning and recycle instead!
• Choose hand-powered tools over ones that require gasoline or diesel fuel.
• Keep your tires at the optimal pressure. Tires with low pressure decrease fuel efficiency.
• Turn off your vehicle engine when you are not driving, instead of sitting in idle.
• Skip the pesticides. There are plenty of natural and safe ways to keep pests out of your garden without polluting the air.
• Consider composting organic material.
• Quit smoking, but especially quit smoking in closed areas.
• Consider a HEPA air filter for your home or office, which can aid in removing mold and dust particles from the air you breathe.

These are just a few ways that you can contribute to cleaner air, but there are so many more!

Check out https://www.airnow.gov/education/what-you-can-do/ for more information.