Issues > July/August 2002 (#91) > An Ounce of Prevention

An Ounce of Prevention

To reduce exposure to allergens and lung irritants:

Check your local weather reports for air quality, including smog and pollen counts, before spending time out of doors. If outdoor air is polluted, keep windows closed. Exercise in early morning, before smog and pollen rise with the day's heat. For local air hotlines, call 800-LUNG-USA.

Use a doormat to reduce tracking-in of dirt and particles. Leave shoes by door.

Take up and wash carpets, in which pollutants collect.

Use HEPA filters, which remove microscopic pollen particles, in vacuum cleaners, air-purifying machines (see GG 90) and air conditioners.

Take refuge in air-conditioned bookstores, museums, cafés or movie theaters when air is bad.

Wash curtains and bedding every two weeks in hot water. This also kills dust mites, which produce allergenic droppings.

To help reduce global-warming gases:

Choose energy-efficient electrical appliances (see Wallet Friendly Appliances, Coolest Car, and Product Reports), and consider home renovation (Make Your House Pay). According to studies completed in 2000 by scientists at five national laboratories, energy efficiency could cut projected electricity demand by 20-47 percent nationwide.

Support alternative energy. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Union of Concerned Scientists say the U.S. can handle all its power requirements with wind or solar energy alone, Matt Bivens reported in The Nation (www.thenation.com).

Drive less: Walk, bike, skate, take public transportion. You'll also burn more calories.

Conserve water.

Ask Congress (202-224-3121) and the White House (202-456-1111) to preserve and enforce the Clean Air Act and join the 50-plus countries that have ratified the Kyoto Accord to reduce global warming emissions.

Help protect natural habitats. Forests and wetlands absorb CO2 and store nitrogen, reducing levels of global-warming gases, and help prevent runoff and filter contaminants before they reach our water supplies. Researchers led by the University of Minnesota have found that more diverse plant ecosystems more effectively absorb greenhouse gases. Good news: Congress voted down attempts to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. Contact The Nature Conservancy, 800-628-6860, nature.org, and the World Wildlife Fund, 800-CALL-WWF, www.worldwildlife.org.