The Clean Air Quest: What You Can Do At Home

• Consider an electric or battery-powered lawn mower or other garden equipment when you buy or replace an old one.
• Look for water-based paints labeled "zero-VOC" when painting your home. The lower the VOC (volatile organic compound) content, the better.
• When re-roofing your home, consider a lighter shade of roofing material to reduce the need for air conditioning and cut electricity bills in the summer. Plant trees for shade.
• Fire up your barbecue briquettes with an electric probe instead of starter fluid. Or use a barbecue fueled by natural gas or propane. Barbecue starter fluids sold in Southern California have been reformulated to emit fewer smog-forming gases.
• Protect yourself from high smog levels by reducing outdoor activity when unhealthful episodes are forecast. Find out about smog forecasts from a local paper, TV newscast, on this web site or by calling AQMD at 1-800-CUT-SMOG.
• Urge your elected representatives in local, state and federal governments to support clean air in Southern California.

On the Road

• When purchasing your next car, think about buying one with high fuel efficiency and low emissions. Or even an electric vehicle!
• When filling your vehicle's gas tank, latch the nozzle on and avoid breathing toxic gasoline fumes. Never top off the gas tank to prevent spilling fuel, a significant source of air pollution.
• Keep your car tuned and support the state's Smog Check program.
• Rideshare and consolidate errands whenever possible to reduce driving.
• Consider scrapping your car if it is old, in poor repair and has high emissions. For information on private scrapping programs, call 1-800-CUT-SMOG.
• Report smoking vehicles, faulty gasoline nozzles and industrial or commercial polluters suspected of violating air quality regulations by calling 1-800-CUT-SMOG.

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