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Are you vanpooling, carpooling or taking the bus or train to work? Perhaps you’re working from home instead of driving to the office or eating at work instead of going out to eat. It all helps – fewer cars on the roadways means less air pollution and congestion, and that’s something we can all get behind.    Think about it—you will save not just money on gas and time, but you will also help clean the air we breathe.   If you are doing your share for cleaner air, you can reap rewards.  Simply log on to tryparkingit.com, register to begin tracking your miles saved and become eligible to win exciting prizes. Go green, breathe clean.  Log on today—tryparkingit.com Try Parking It is a commuter-tracking system administered by the North Central Texas Council of Governments as part of an on-going effort to improve traffic congestion and air quality in North Texas. Rainy Weather Helps Improve Air Quality AirCheckTexas Replacement Winding Down AirCheckTexas soon will stop accepting applications for vehicle-replacement vouchers.  The expenditure of funds is being closely watched as this successful program nears an end for fiscal year 2008.  AirCheck has issued thousands of vouchers, worth $3,000 for conventional vehicles and $3,500 for hybrid vehicles. Even after the replacement money has been exhausted, money will be available for automobile repairs.  The state will continue to offer $600 vouchers toward the repair of vehicles to qualifying residents.  Call 800-898-9103 for information. The Environmental Protection Agency is required to review the six major pollutants every five years.  The agency recently announced it will lower the design value from 84 ppb to 75 ppb.  With the change, North Texas will have more time to reach ozone attainment.  But the region is still under the old standard until the new one is fully implemented.  Although ozone is often the focus of North Texas' air quality discussions, there are five other pollutants measured by the EPA:  carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, particulates, and sulfur oxides. To address the ozone problem, the Regional Transportation Council has develped a broad range of air quality programs that aggressively target major souces of ozone-causing emissions.  Improving air quality is a team effort that requires the work of local, state, and federal sources.  The major ozone contributors are mobile on-road (cars), point and area (power plants), off-road (airplanes and construction vehicles), and miscellaneous sources.  NCTCOG's air quality strategies seek to reduce emissions in a variety of ways, from energy and fuel efficiency to advancing clean technologies to encouraging changes in daily behaviour.  Such strategies are being implemented throughout the region to reduce emissions from different sources.  Many of the program implemented through NCTCOG target transportation-related emissions.  This is because on-road mobile sources account for nearly half the ozone pollution in North Central Texas.  On the federal side energy legislation signed last year by President Bush requires improvements in the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks, and encourages the development of alternative fuels.  Both provisions could help North Texas as it seeks to improve the air quality to acceptable levels.  But to have a lasting effect, they will need to serve only as a component of a more comprehensive regional strategy. Article taken from the NCTCOG Spring 2008 Mobility Matters.  Other programs can be found in the Regional Mobility Initiative www.nctcog.org/trans/outreach/rmi/aq07.pdf. The largest source of air pollution in our area is due to on-road vehicles.   Emissions of NOx (nitrogen oxide) and VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) from our vehicles turn into ozone after baking in the hot sun.  Air pollution not only affects our environment, but our health and the economy as well.  There are many things you can do to reduce our air pollution, these tips can be used not only during ozone season but year-round as well.   Use transit, walk, or bike to work, and school. Carpool/Vanpool. Shop by phone or mail. Accelerate gradually and always obey the speed limit. Keep your car tuned. A well-maintained vehicle pollutes less and runs better.  Use environmentally safe cleaning products and water based paints. Don't top off your gas tank and refuel after dusk. Avoid using gas-powered lawn equipment.  If you must use a gas lawn mower, mow before 10 am or after 7 pm to avoid peak ozone formation hours. Combine trips and errands by planning ahead. Telecommute if possible. Take your lunch to work or walk to lunch. Make your next car a fuel efficient vehicle. Start your barbecue briquettes with an electric probe, or use a propane or natural gas barbecue. Avoid using chemicals that contain volatile organic compounds (VOC's) such as spray paint, paint thinners, pesticides, glue solvents, weed killers, etc. Avoid using the drive thru at restaurants or dry cleaners. Environmental Pollutants - Traditional power plants produce air pollution, emit toxic chemicals and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and create toxic and nuclear waste.  Electricity production also consumes finite fuel and water resources.  Over the past few decades, the electric utility industry has made great strides in reducing pollution by adding pollution control devices and changing combustion processes.  However, electricity generation still produces more environmental pollutants then any industry.  A better understanding of the environmental pollutants produced from electricity production will allow consumers to make informed decisions.  (Click here for more information) Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide. How big is yours ?  Click here to find out, and then do something about it!