By consuming less and thinking about what you buy, you can help prevent pollution.  Just about everything we eat, wear, and use in our daily lives has some kind of impact on our environment.  Consider non-toxic household cleaners, non-disposable goods, rerefined motor oil, and products made from or packaged in recycled materials.

1. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle- You will reduce air pollution and compost from landfills, incinerators and trash-hauling trucks. For more information on recycling, please call (805) 568-3051
2. Choose Renewable Electricity and “Green Power- Electricity generation is a major source of air emissions. Reduce air pollution by supporting the use of renewable energy. Call the California Energy Information at (916) 654-4989 or visit their website at www.energy.ca.gov.
3. Buy LEV’s or SULEV’s- There are many low emission vehicles (LEVs) and super or “ultra” low emission vehicles (SULEVs) on the market that reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons: the two pollutants that react to form ground-level ozone. To find out more information on low emission, electric vehicles, or compressed natural gas vehicles, please visit http://www.driveclean.ca.gov
4. Bike Instead of Drive- You will reduce air pollution,  reduce auto traffic, and decrease the demand for new roads and parking lots. Call Traffic Solutions at (805) 963-SAVE for a county bike map.
5. Use the Bus, Carpool or Vanpool- If half the driving commuters in the county found a different way to get to work one day a week, we could reduce ozone-forming pollution by as much as 2.85 tons per week! Visit www.trafficsolutions.info or more information.
6. Keep Your Car Tuned Up- You will reduce air pollution, your car will run better, use less gas and you would also reduce ozone-forming pollution by as much as 2 tons per day!
7. Combine Car Trips- Much of the pollution a car will cause occurs during the cold start, when the engine starts up after it’s been off for 90 minutes or longer. This means that one car trip with stops at the grocery store, video store and drug store could cause almost 1/3 of the pollution cause by three separate trips.
8. Avoid Topping Off Your Tank- Topping off rarely adds more gas. It almost always makes gas spill, releasing more polluting fumes, and exposing you to benzene, a carcinogen.
9. Report Smoking Vehicles- The dirtiest vehicles are responsible for as much as 40% of all car pollution. Call 1-800-END-SMOG or #SMOG from a cell phone to report a pollution producing vehicle.
10. Use Less Energy- The average family’s energy use creates more than 11,200 pounds of air pollutants EACH YEAR! To reduce air pollution, lower your hear settings, raise your air conditioning setting, draw blinds and close windows on sunny days. For more home energy saving ideas, please visit www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers
11. Use Alternatives to Pesticides in Your House and Garden- Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers harm our air, water, plants and wildlife. For more information on alternatives to pesticides, visit the EPA’s website at www.epa.gov or call the Community Environmental Council at (805) 963-0583 for a guide to least-toxic gardening.
12. Use Water-Based Paints- Oil based paints contain three to five times more smog forming chemicals than water-based paints. Spray paints release volatile organic compounds (VOC) into the air: use a brush or roller.