REDUCING POLLUTION

I. Our planet is a closed system with finite resources.

The resources that exist on our planet are all we have.  The population continues to increase rapidly, putting a drain on available resources.  If everyone would do a little bit to cut down on pollution, the cumulative effects will make a difference. 

Energy consumption is a major contributor to the pollution problem.  Much power is created in coal burning electric generators that spew out greenhouse gases which pollute the air with  mercury and other contaminants that fall back to earth and pollute the land and water.

Our dependence on oil is another major culprit to the pollution problem.  From oil spills, to production of plastics, to chemical fertilizers, pollution created by oil production continues to damage the fragile ecosystem we live in.

II. Small changes in our daily routines can help reduce air pollution.

1.  When sitting in a car waiting for to pick someone up, turn off the engine.  Idling engines do make up a portion of the air pollution caused by cars.

2.  Take a walk.  For short distances, walk rather than drive.  Enjoy the outdoors, meet new neighbors, chat with friends, view the landscaping ideas of others, and hear the birds sing.

3.  When looking at purchasing a new car, consider a hybrid or a car with higher gas mileage and fewer emissions.

4.  Carpool or use mass transit as much as possible.

5.  Ride a bicycle instead of driving as often as possible.

6.  Walk or run to the health club instead of driving to the gym and then walk or run on the treadmill for an hour. Why not get the exercise of walking before and after the gym?  It takes the same time and the view is ever more interesting.

7.  Eliminate the use of a leaf blower and get the exercise of raking instead.  Wilmette ordinance prohibits the use of leaf blowers from May to October.  Report violations to the police.

8.  Many gas-powered lawn mowers are built without any pollution devices. Solutions include replacing the lawn with landscaped areas or use a push mower. An electric mower will reduce air pollution a bit, but the power company still generates pollution.

9.  Reduce your electric consumption.  Coal burning or nuclear power plants produce most of the power generated for Wilmette.  Both contribute to air pollution.

10.  Plant trees, bushes and other perennial plants as they help clean the air and provide the oxygen we breathe.  Native plants require limited maintenance, are drought resistant and encourage butterflies and birds.

11.  Use low VOC products.

III. Small changes in our daily routines can help reduce water pollution.

1.  Change to eco-friendly cleaning products for the dishwasher and laundry to reduce the amount of bleach, phosphate and other harmful chemicals added to the water system.

2.  Cleaning paint brushes in the basement laundry tub releases toxins into the water stream.

3.  When changing oil from the automobile, depose of properly rather than dumping the used oil into the sewer.

4.  Remember that anything dumped into the sewer could end up in our drinking water as the water filtration process does have its limits.

5.  Collecting rainwater will reduce the amount of water processed during a storm.  When the storm system is overloaded, the raw sewerage is released into the Lake. In addition, the water collected is great for the plants since it is chlorine-free.

6.  Clean your car with eco-friendly cleaning products.

7.  Items that reduce air pollution also reduce water pollution as rain collects many of the pollutants and brings them back to earth, polluting both land and water.

8.  Volunteer for a water system cleanup.  There are periodic lake front cleanups and regularly there are cleanups scheduled for Skokie Lagoons.  The next scheduled Skokie Lagoon clean up is Saturday, May 12.  Meet at the Tower Road parking lot east of the bridge at 10:00 am.  For more information call Jerry Garden at 312-925-3869.

9.  Reduce water consumption by turning off the faucet when you brush your teeth, using low water usage plumbing fixtures, landscaping with drought resistant plants, irrigating gardens at night to reduce evaporation and maximize water absorption, using your dishwasher sensibly, and by turning off the hose between rinses when washing your car.

10.  Eliminating chemical lawn care products will minimize the pollution that leaches down to the water table and enters into the water system.

IV. Small changes in our daily routines can help reduce land pollution.

1.  Chemical insecticides and pesticides are the greatest source of land pollution in our Village at the expense of all the living organisms that make up a normal healthy plot of land.  The lawn at the library is a good example of organically treated lawn.

2.  Avoid littering and help clean up litter left by others.  Programs exist to assist the Forest Preserve in cleaning the woods.

3.  Composting your organic material (grass clippings, weeds and leaves) will provide valuable topsoil full of nutrients and the bacteria and fungal organisms necessary for a healthy plot of land.

4.  Supplement compost by mulching your gardens.  This mulch provides the raw material the soil needs to become a healthy place for the vital organisms to grow in soil and gardens.

5.  Dispose of toxic substances (paint, batteries, oil, cleaners for paint and oil, etc) properly.

6.  Recycle to reduce landfill waste.

7.  Support wildlife preservation organizations focusing on habitat protection and restoration.

8.  Leave the lawn clippings on the lawn after cutting to fertilize naturally while reducing landfill materials.

Great Resources for More Tips and Information:



1.  Reduce Auto Pollution

• Drive less.
• Walk, ride your bike, carpool, and take public transportation.
• Combine errands in a single trip.
• Limit the use of your air conditioning.
• Change your car's air filter.
• Accelerate gradually.
• Don't speed.
• Fill your gas tank in the morning or early evening, and not at mid-day.
• Avoid idling (even 3 minutes is too long to idle).
• Check and maintain your tire pressure.
• If you cannot follow all of these tips every day, pick a few and pitch in to reduce auto pollution.

2.  Reduce Your Home's Energy Usage

• Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.  Can't change all of them?  How about resolving to change 5 of them today?
• Turn off the lights when you leave a room (even if you own stock in the power company!). 
• Buy Energy Star appliances. 
• Limit your use of air conditioning whenever possible, and make sure your air conditioning system is maintained properly.
• Reduce waste by increasing recycling in your home.

3.  Around The House

• Avoid mowing the lawn or using other gas-powered garden equipment during the middle of the day (between 11am and 6pm), and don't use them at all on air pollution action days (they contribute to ozone formation).
• Try to avoid using charcoal lighter fluid and items that have volatile organic compounds (i.e. spray paint, paint thinners, etc).

4.  Where Can the Kids Help Best?

• Make it a family project to turn off lights and appliances when you leave a room in your home.  Appoint a child as director of recycling in the household. 
• Develop a family competition to save energy and reduce pollution.

5.  What Else Can We Do?

• Help local advocacy efforts to reduce pollution from older diesel school buses, trucks, and off-road construction vehicles (which contribute significantly to air pollution). 
• Join a campaign to reduce air pollution from two old coal-fired power plants in Chicago and to force new power plants to use the best available pollution control technology. 
• In the past two years, American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago has sponsored legislation at state and local levels to advance all of those advocacy efforts, but we need more support from the public to let our legislators know these problems can no longer be ignored.  For more information, sign up for our e-advocacy campaign at www.lungchicago.org, or call us at 1-888-880-LUNG (5864), and ask for Matt Maloney.