Air quality alerts should signal action for more than one day
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been reporting on air quality more often than we’d like to be doing so.
On June 28, Canadian wildfire smoke drifted across Butler County, bringing along fine particulate matter and a visible haze that made breathing difficult for many across the county.
Some here in Butler County braved the haze for outdoor events, but for some, the air quality was more of a barrier, causing them to stay inside.
The Department of Environmental Protection issued a Code Red Air Quality Action Day declaration on June 28. It came with a warning that the air was unhealthy for all, but also for children, the elderly and people with respiratory problems like asthma, emphysema and bronchitis to especially avoid outdoor activities.
In the days that followed, more warnings followed. We watched as the haze left Butler County and blue skies returned.
Now, the most recent air quality action day issued by the DEP was for July 6. It was issued at a level orange, or unhealthy for sensitive groups.
The alerts also come with a list of things that people should avoid to help reduce ozone air pollution. These include: driving less by carpooling or using public transportation, combining errands to reduce vehicle trips, limiting engine idling, refueling cars and trucks after dusk and conserving electricity by setting air conditioning to a higher temperature and turning off lights that are not in use.
These are things that we could be more mindful about every day. The consequences of leaving your air conditioner on 68 degrees instead of 72 degrees are greater than a higher electricity bill for yourself. The effects of taking multiple trips instead of combining errands are greater than emptying your gas tank a little faster.
We have to take care of our planet every day. We can be more intentional about the steps we take in our every day lives, because poor air quality is a topic we’d like to avoid reporting on more and more.
— TL
