| Oct. 16, 2012 The region’s clean air
agency has released a new video featuring local film and TV stars
explaining how residents can help clean the air.
“Tips on Clean Air Living,” produced by the South Coast Air Quality
Management District (AQMD), includes interviews with 10 Los Angeles-area
film and TV celebrities presenting simple steps that residents can take at
home and on the road to help improve air quality.
“Southland residents can play a vital role helping to reduce air
pollution,” said William Burke, Ed.D., AQMD Governing Board Chairman. “We
are going to need all 16 million residents to do their part in reducing
emissions to reach our goal of clean air.”
The eight-minute video, available for viewing at
www.cleanairchoices.org,
premiered Oct. 12, at AQMD’s 24th annual Clean Air Awards at the
Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
Elisabeth Röhm, known for her role in the TV series Law and
Order, introduces the video. She points out that progress in the war on
smog can literally be seen today in clear views of nearby mountains that in
years past disappeared behind curtains of smog.
Wendie Malick, who acted in the TV series Hot in Cleveland
and Fraser, explains the clean-air benefits of professional green
cleaners that do not use toxic chemicals. Consumers can find a green cleaner
near them by consulting a list at
www.cleanairchoices.org.
Actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr., known for his
roles in the TV series St. Elsewhere, Arrested Development, Six Feet
Under and several films, urges viewers to call AQMD’s 24-hour complaint
line, 1-800-CUT-SMOG (1-800-288-7664) to report foul odors or other
suspected air pollution violations.
Sharon Lawrence, who appeared on TV’s NYPD Blue, One Tree Hill
and Grey’s Anatomy, urges residents to sign up for AQMD’s Clean Air
Connections at
www.cleanairconnections.org to stay informed about eco-friendly
technologies and products and learn about upcoming clean air activities in
their community.
Paul Reiser, known for his roles on the TV series Mad About You
and the films Diner and Beverly Hills Cop, points out that
planting trees around your property can shade your home and reduce cooling
costs by up to 20 percent.
Daphne Zuniga, who appeared in TV’s Melrose Place and
One Tree Hill, explains that the smoke from wildfires, responsible for a
range of health impacts including increased asthma attacks, is the same as
that created by burning wood in fireplaces. She urges residents to
take advantage of AQMD’s Healthy Hearths discount program for converting
wood-burning fireplaces to clean-burning gas logs.
Esai Manuel Morales, known for acting in the film La Bamba
and TV’s NYPD Blue, explains that the use of paints and other
coatings emit 22 tons of smog-forming pollutants every day, more than five
times the amount emitted by all of our region’s oil refineries. To help
reduce pollution, residents can use paints that contain no or very low
amounts of smog-forming volatile organic compounds, he says.
Alexandra Paul, an electric vehicle activist and actress who
appeared in the film Who Killed the Electric Car and the TV series
Baywatch, notes that in California, about 30 percent of all cars on the
road are at least 12 years old, and that these older vehicles are
responsible for about three-quarters of all emissions from cars. Motorists
can save money on fuel and help clean the air by purchasing a low-emitting,
fuel-efficient vehicle whether it’s powered by gasoline, natural gas or
electricity.
Donna Mills, known for the TV series Knots Landing, and her
daughter Chloe Mills, president of the Green Youth Movement
organization, explain that consumers can make their homes more energy
efficient, save money and help clean the air by purchasing energy efficient
appliances or lighting. Energy-saving ideas are available at
www.energysavers.gov.
Jamie Durie, known for HGTV’s The Outdoor Room and PBS’s
The Victory Garden, recommends that homeowners take advantage of AQMD’s
annual lawn mower exchange to trade in their old, highly polluting gasoline
mowers for an electric, zero-polluting model. Conventional gasoline mowers
can pollute as much in one year as a newer car driven 20,000 miles.
More information on clean air tips including consumer rebate programs is
available at
www.cleanairchoices.org.
AQMD is the air pollution control agency for Orange County
and major portions of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
|
