25+ Remarkable Ways to Prevent Air Pollution

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There are multiple and simple ways that can be used in everyday life to help prevent air pollution and improve air quality. Every time we use our air conditioners, drive to work or school, use coal to heat our homes, style our hair or even apply deodorants to smell fresh, we undertake activities and make choices that can increase air pollution.

Taking actions aimed at maintaining the air quality in our homes, workplaces, cars, and the environment, in general, can be important for our health and can considerably help reduce air pollution. Many ways can be used to improve the air quality in our environments and as such, prevent air pollution.

Here are the 25+ ways that can have positive outcomes on preventing air pollution

1. Walk or ride a bike whenever possible. The use of cars and motorbikes highly contributes to air pollution by emitting noxious gasses into the atmosphere. Biking or walking to work or school especially if the work or school area is within a short distance is very advisable. Besides, it gives you a chance to improve your physical health and vitality.

2. Car pool with your colleagues or friends. Pooling is yet another option to reduce air pollution. It is a great idea to do car pool with your colleagues that will not only help to reduce the pollution but will also help to build relationships with them.

3. When buying a new car, choose one that is lowest-polluting and most efficient or even a zero-emission electric car. More efficient cars produce less toxic emissions, and it’s even better to opt for zero-emission electric cars since they don’t pollute the air at all.

4. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. The electric energy used to light our homes, churches, schools, and offices are generated from power plants that combust fossil fuels to generate the energy, releasing poisonous gasses into the atmosphere. Turning off lights conserves energy thereby reducing the electricity demands, cutting down air pollution.

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5. Install energy efficient bulbs. Use of energy efficient bulbs such as compact fluorescent light bulbs in place of energy-hungry incandescent light bulbs can help conserve energy. Compact fluorescent light bulbs consume less power.

6. Use public transport. The use of public transport means lesser vehicles on the road and as such, less vehicular emission into the atmosphere.

7. Recycle and reuse items. It’s a necessary action to recycle and reuse materials such as plastic, metals, and paper among other materials as to reduce the amount of carbon footprint and other emissions during processing and production.

8. Replace air conditioning with a fan. The fan uses less energy which conserves electric power as opposed to air conditioning that uses more energy and leads to energy wastage.

9. Persist in using or buying items made from recycled materials. Recycled products are more environmentally friendly since their production and processing aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other toxic air pollutants. Recycled materials frequently have a recycle logo on them.

10. Do a home audit regarding the use of efficient energy. Request for an audit related to energy efficient solutions and ask about alternative energy utilization such as wind and solar.

11. Wash clothes with cold water and dry them outside in the air. Washing clothes with cold water saves the energy that could have been used for heating whereas line drying the clothes uses the sun’s natural energy instead of using a dryer.

12. Use water-based paints and cleaning products. Water-based paints and cleaning products contain low VOCs, thus, reducing air contamination by Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). It also reduces the overall production of oil products.

13. Opt for natural gas instead of charcoal. Opting for natural gasses such as biogas instead of charcoal or firewood can tremendously help to reduce air pollution as it limits carbon footprint and emission of smoke into the air.

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14. Utilize solar and wind energy. If possible, consider installing solar and wind power to make use of the renewable energy instead of depending on the regular power grid. You will save energy and lots of cash in the long-term.

15. Consistently practice tree planting. Trees act as the environment’s best and natural air purifiers. In the long-term, trees reduce cooling costs, attract rain and even provide shade.

16. Use organic and naturally scented products instead of deodorants and artificial air fresheners. Artificial air fresheners and deodorants contribute high amounts of VOCs, particulate matter (PM), and other harmful chemicals into the air. Use of organic and naturally scented products can substantially reduce air pollution.

17. Regularly maintain your car and ensure the tires are always correctly inflated. Well maintained vehicles emit fewer emissions and soot which translate to a lesser impact on the environment. Also, cars that have well-inflated tires tend to economize fuel thereby cutting back air pollution.

18. Purchase and opt for green electricity at all times. Buying electric energy generated from green and renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower lessens tons of fossil fuel emissions that are normally released from the conventional petroleum driven electric generation methods.

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19. Drive smart. You need to limit car idling as it contributes to fuel wastage and more vehicular emission. It’s also advisable you accelerate steadily and within the speed limit to conserve fuel. Another essential thing you can do is ensuring you don’t overload the car as it leads to more fuel consumption. Above all, ensure you are constantly conserving your car’s fuel.

20. Stop junk mail today. These junk mails that are delivered to your home come at a cost of cutting down of millions of trees that are being cut down to produce the paper. Trees remove the gaseous pollutants (nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulfur dioxide and ozone) through the stomata in the leaf surface by absorbing them with normal air components.

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21. Regularly maintain your heaters and gas appliances. Properly maintained heaters and gas appliances simply conserve energy, and it even makes the appliances more efficient.

22. Quit smoking. Quitting smoking not only reduces air pollution and improves indoor air quality, but it also provides the best answer for overall health.

23. Only use Energy Star appliances. Every time you want to buy a new appliance only considers Energy Star products since they often meet the best requirements for energy saving.

24. Limit the use of gasoline lawn mowers and leaf blowers. Instead of using gasoline lawn mower and leaf blowers, cut the grass manually and use a broom/rake respectively. Alternatively, use push/electric loan mower or an electric leaf blower. Contrary, the use of electric mowers and blowers only offer short-term solutions. They are not advisable for long-term solutions.

25. Avoid the use of the use of hazardous chemicals. Avoiding the use of highly concentrated chemicals can reduce pollution levels because they contain smog-forming compounds including VOCs and particulate matter.

26. Only use unleaded petrol and ensure your car is fitted with a catalytic converter. Unleaded petrol minimizes the discharge of lead and other toxic substances into the air. Catalytic converters on the exhaust pipe help to reduce the exhaust gas emissions.

27. Spread a word about it and support local government in various initiatives. Join local campaigns and support various government in various initiatives to bring down the pollution levels in the city.

28. Actively participate in green activities and environmental groups. Joining environmental programs and actively taking part in green activities will not only help to limit air pollution but will also improve the general environmental sustainability. In such programs and activities, you’ll ensure trees are tended and cared for, learn more about green lifestyle, and you can gain impressive insights about environmental conservation.

Photo by: Foto , Tarabiscuite

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