Some Reminders for Reducing Air Pollution, So We and Mother Earth Can Breathe Better

Easy rule to remember: whenever possible, burn your body’s energy instead of burning fossil fuels. This not only minimizes air pollution, it also burns calories (yours!) and saves money.

Getting around: Walk. Ride your bike. Carpool. Combine trips. Don’t idle. (Turn off the engine.)

Ride the bus or train. Buy or rent an electric vehicle or hybrid. Go easy on the pedal and brakes; use cruise control. Keep your tires properly inflated. Don’t always carry lots of extra weight in your car. Fly less; make off-setting donations.

In and around the home: Turn off the lights. Plug all your electronic gear into a power strip, and turn it off overnight or when not in use. Before the winter, seal your windows and doors for leaks. Remove the screens on your south-facing windows in the fall to let the sun pour through your windows on bright winter days.

Turn down the thermostat in the winter. Do jumping jacks. Put on a sweater. Turn up the thermostat in the summer. Open the windows to get a breeze. Use a fan.

Plant trees and all kinds of good native plants around your home. Even indoor plants help reduce air pollution.

Dry your laundry on a clothesline.

To reduce methane gas in landfills, take your food scraps to a drop-off compost site or compost your food scraps at home. Here’s a link for more information.

Don’t fill your home with unnecessary things (“stuff!”). The manufacture of stuff causes air pollution, and more air pollution is caused when you dispose of stuff. This is especially true of plastic stuff. One way to reduce your use of plastic bottles is to buy detergents, cleaners, and soaps in powder form, and just add water. e.g., Blueland.com. Another idea: buy shampoo in a bar instead of in a bottle.There are plenty of choices available at the Mississippi Market.

Reduce, re-use, recycle. Use paper sparingly, and whenever possible use 100% recycled paper and paper products (e.g., toilet paper).

Subscribe to Xcel Energy’s Windsource program so you can get your electricity from Minnesota wind farms. 

We know there are zillions of other great ideas out there. Please share your ideas with each other and do your best to make them a part of your everyday life.