Blog Posts

Clean Air Notes #4 – Lawn Care for Clean Air

Person lawn mowing outdoors illustration, Image by Freepik

Spring is here in Hood County and that means it’s time for our lawns, trees, and flowers to start growing and blooming!  Taking care of our yards provides some opportunities for clean air choices.  If you have gas-powered lawn equipment, be sure to avoid gas spills and maintain your equipment to reduce emissions that contribute to air pollution.  Avoid gas-powered lawn equipment use when the air quality is predicted to be poor.  Plan for these activities on better air quality days.  An even better choice for clean air is to consider electric lawn equipment or manual tools that produce no emissions! 

Plant choices for the yard offer another opportunity for clean air choices.  Consider native trees, shrubs, and plants that require less water, little or no fertilizer, are less susceptible to pests, and more tolerant of local conditions.  You can reduce weeds in flower beds by using mulch.  Mulch is also beneficial in reducing water use.  Reducing water use conserves energy and that helps save money and reduces emissions produced by power plants.  When you are enjoying the spring sunshine in the yard, remember that it provides another opportunity to make clean air choices that help keep our air clean! 

Clean Air Notes #3 Car Maintenance

Car with dog in window
Image by Pexels from Pixabay, https://pixabay.com/photos/dog-pet-car-window-drive-road-trip-1850465/

Ozone season started on March 1st in North Texas and April is National Car Care Month.  In preparation for car care month, here are some ideas to think about to take care of your vehicle and help keep our air clean.  Some car care tips include checking tire inflation, changing air filters, and addressing check engine light issues.  Proper tire pressure improves gas mileage, extends tire life, and can prevent accidents and repairs.  Replacing air filters when needed improves fuel efficiency and vehicle performance.  It can also extend the engine life of the vehicle.  The “check engine” light is a warning indicator for issues related to the vehicle’s engine or emissions system.  It can be related to minor issues or more serious problems.  Delays in addressing the issue can lead to poor performance or costly repairs.  Reducing fuel consumption by addressing these issues reduces the emissions generated by your vehicle and helps improve air quality in our region.  The North Central Texas Council of Governments administers a Car Care Awareness Program.  You can find more information about this program at https://www.ntxcarcare.org

Other vehicle-related clean air efforts include reducing trips by combining errands, observing the speed limit, and avoiding idling.  Additionally, minimizing trips by working remotely, attending meetings virtually when possible, or carpooling can also reduce emissions that contribute to poor air quality.  Keep up those clean air efforts with your vehicle in mind!

Clean Air Notes #2 Start of Ozone Season

Purple flowers

Iris Image by blizniak from Pixabay

Spring is around the corner and with it marks the beginning of ozone season in Hood County and North Texas.  Ozone is the main air pollution concern for Hood County as the county is considered an affected county for ozone meaning that the ozone levels are close to the EPA ozone standard that is considered protective of human health. Ozone is formed when nitrogen oxide tailpipe emissions from vehicles or smokestack emissions from industrial sites mix with volatile organic compounds from things like gasoline vapors and chemical solvents in the sunlight and heat.  Because ozone is formed in sunlight and heat, ozone season includes the summer months as well as early spring and late fall when the weather is warmer.  Ozone season runs from March 1st through November 30th in North Texas. 

There are some simple things that we can all do help reduce the emissions that contribute to ozone formation.  To reduce vehicle tailpipe emissions, you can limit vehicle trips by working remotely or attending meetings virtually when possible, carpooling, refueling late in the day, reducing idling, observing speed limits, and maintaining your vehicle including monitoring tire pressure.  When it’s time to replace a vehicle, consider a clean vehicle option like an electric or hybrid option or a SmartWay vehicle from EPA’s SmartWay list at https://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/find-smartway-vehicle.  To reduce emissions from power plants, switch to LED lighting at home, make energy efficient home improvements, or simply turn things off when not in use!  Even water conservation helps reduce energy use too!  You can also sign up for ozone alert notifications through the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) at  https://www.tceq.texas.gov or Air North Texas at https://www.airntorthtexas.org  to let you know when you need to pay extra attention to your clean air efforts. 

Welcome to Clean Air Notes

Metal Welcome sign with two kids on a bicycle outside.

Welcome to the introduction of the new Clean Air Notes from the Hood County Clean Air Coalition!  This blog will highlight activities and actions that help keep our air clean.  For Hood County, the main air pollution concern is ozone which is formed from tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks on the road, smokestack emissions from industrial sites like power plants, and emissions from other equipment like that used for construction in off-road settings.  The Hood County Clean Air Coalition was formed in 2012 when Hood County was under consideration of a “non-attainment” designation for ozone – meaning that ozone levels measured at the local monitor were almost higher than the level that was considered healthy especially for senior citizens, children, and those that suffer from asthma and other lung disorders.  The Coalition is comprised of local governments, schools, businesses, and citizens whose goal is to promote clean air in Hood County.   Current board members of the Coalition are Mark Franco, Chairman, Granbury Mayor Jim Jarratt, Hood County Judge Ron Massingill, Cresson Mayor Pro-Tem Lisa Clement, Joe Drew, Chuck Licata, John Campbell, Brian Caruthers, and Zak Monroe.  The Coalition’s activities are overseen by the Air Quality Program Manager, Michelle McKenzie.  We hope this blog will provide insight into simple choices that can help keep our air quality healthy for the residents in Hood County and keep residents informed about regional activities related to air quality! 

Image by: Brigitte Feauge from Pixabay