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Scorching temps bring increased risk for poor air quality
As some of the hottest weather in decades continues to plague the region, the risk for poor air quality is also on the rise, making it critical for area residents to do their share for cleaner air each and every day, year-round.
With transportation having the most profound impact on air quality, making the choice to drive less is an easy way to help reduce the emissions that lead to poor air quality. Actions like using transit, carpooling and vanpooling, combining errands into a single trip, planning trips to avoid idling in traffic tie-ups and construction zones and flexing work schedules to avoid car travel during peak commuting times can all help the region breathe easier. As the heat wave rolls on, area residents are also encouraged to avoid using gas-powered lawn equipment, refuel their gas tanks after dusk and avoid unnecessary idling in fast-food drive-thrus and parking lots. And those hosting 4th of July cookouts tomorrow should use a gas grill and avoid using charcoal lighter fluid to help keep the air cleaner.
To stay up-to-date on the daily air quality forecast, be sure to visit our Facebook and Twitter pages, and our website where area residents can sign up to have the forecast sent directly to their email inboxes via the EnviroFlash air quality alert system. Our website also features a wealth of additional tips designed to help individuals do their share for cleaner air during the summer and all year long.
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Clean Air Partnership recognizes students from the Rockwood Center for Creative Learning (CCL)
This spring, the Clean Air Partnership honored a special group of 4th grade students from the "There's No Zone Like the Ozone" class.
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Students from the Rockwood CCL created these anti-idling signs which currently hang in the CCL parking lot. |
After being challenged by the Clean Air Partnership to solve the problem of vehicle idling at their school, the students created, and are continuing to implement, a comprehensive anti-idling campaign known as "Action 4 Air." On May 14, the Partnership honored the students' efforts at a formal awards ceremony where the students were presented with certificates officially recognizing them as "Clean Air Kids."
For details on the incredible work accomplished by these students, we invite you to check out this story from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch or visit the students' project website.
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Clean Air Partnership supports CMT's "Make Your Move on Metro in May"
We were proud to have had the opportunity to partner with Citizens for Modern transit to support its "Make Your Move on Metro in May" series of events, which were designed to promote the education and expanded use of the St. Louis Metro area's transit system, as well as other viable alternative modes. Among the highlights from the month was the first-ever Great Race, which placed Team Transit, Team Bike and Team Carshare in a head-to-head battle to see which transportation mode could travel from downtown St. Louis to downtown Clayton the fastest. In the end, Team Carshare was victorious, coming in 54 seconds ahead of Team Transit, while Team Bike took third place, coming in 10 minutes later. The Great Race and all the May events were a huge success, and we thank CMT for giving us the chance to be a part of the fun. Click here for details on all the "Make Your Move on Metro" events, and for more information about CMT, be sure to visit the organization's website, find them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter @cmt_stl. |
City of Clayton demonstrates how muncipalities can go green Nationwide, as communities look for ways
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The solar array that will soon be present on the roof of the Clayton Police Station consists of silicon panels which are projected to produce 105.6 kilowatts of electricity. This is equivalent to the amount of energy needed to power 10 houses. the solar arry wil be used to power the garage as well as the police station. |
to reduce their environmental footprint, the City of Clayton is serving as a model for municipalities in the St. Louis region.
Clayton's efforts to go green began in 1997 when the city established its Ecology and Environmental Awareness Committee (EEAC), a
group of residents tasked with advising the mayor, alderman and city
manager on the development and support of ecologically sound programs and practices. Today, the committee follows a blueprint for action that includes the incorporation of green building into city facilities, the establishment and promotion of recycling programs and efforts to reduce traffic congestion and purchase green products. This blueprint can be directly attributed to the leadership of Clayton's Mayor, Linda Goldstein.
In 1998, Goldstein was elected as alderman and was appointed as a liaison to the EEAC. At that time, the committee had been successful in establishing a recycling program, but Goldstein had more lofty goals in mind.
"I felt there was much more the city could be doing, so I called
on two of my fellow environmental advocates to get their input on how to maximize the city's green efforts," said Mayor Goldstein.
Working alongside Deb Frank, the current vice president for sustainability at the Missouri Botanical Garden, and Jean Ponzi, the Garden's current green resources manager, Goldstein and her colleagues developed an environmental road map that has transformed the city into the green model it is today.
Its sustainable accomplishments include being one of 33 cities in the U.S. to be designated as an EPA Green Power Community. Through the Green Power initiative, local government, businesses and residents collectively purchase green power in an effort to conserve energy. To further reduce energy use, Clayton's Public Works Department changed all traffic signal lights to LED fixtures in 2008, and all city-owned buildings use an energy-efficient pulse heating system.
In 2006, Clayton adopted an ordinance that requires all new construction and major renovation projects that are 5,000 square feet or greater and are owned, occupied or funded by the city to be certified by the U.S. Green Building Council at the LEED Silver level or higher. While Clayton's police station already complies with this ordinance, this summer, the largest solar array in the Midwest will be in place on the roof of the building. The new addition should increase its certification to an even higher LEED level.
As the city works to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality, efforts to encourage residents to utilize alternative transportation modes remain a priority. Clayton was one of the first cities in the region to participate in Metro's Transit Benefit Program, through which the city subsidizes the cost of MetroLink and MetroBus passes for its employees. In recent months, city officials have also discussed making rental bikes available at area Metro stations and installing additional bike racks to make biking a more viable transportation option.
To reduce vehicle emissions, 79 percent of Clayton's city fleet vehicles use alternative fuels, such as biodiesel, and most are hybrids. Additional efforts underway to improve the environmental quality of the city's municipal operations include a joint purchasing contract area for recycled paper; the use of green cleaning supplies, double-sided copies and nightly computer shutdown policies; city facility energy audits; construction material recycling in capital improvement projects, and paper and waste reduction efforts in city buildings.
"It's truly exciting to see all that our city has been able to accomplish thus far, and we look forward to expanding our environmental initiatives in the years to come," said Goldstein. "There are a wealth of steps municipalities can take to go green, and we hope our sustainable efforts can serve as a model for other cities across the St. Louis area."
Cities or individuals interested in learning more about Clayton's environmental efforts are encouraged to visit http://www.claytonmo.gov/resident/sustainability/clayton_operations.
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Clean air outreach now underway to municipalities
As the City of Clayton celebrates its environmental successes, the Clean Air Partnership is embarking on a new outreach initiative designed to help other area municipalities step up their green practices and get more engaged in the region's clean air effort.
Working with RideFinders and the Metro East Citizens Air Project over the next several months, the Clean Air Partnership and the American Lung Association plan to schedule meetings with municipal leaders from the Metro East and St. Louis City and County to discuss what green initiatives they currently have in place and determine what additional steps their cities could take to operate in a greener way and help improve air quality.
If representatives in your community would like to schedule a meeting, you're encouraged to contact Susannah Fuchs with the American Lung Association at 314-645-5505, ext. 1007; Laura Barton with RideFinders at (314) 761-8072 or Amy Funk with the Metro East Citizens Air Project at (618) 514-7854.
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We need your input!
As we continue our work to improve the air quality in the St. Louis region, we remain on the lookout for new partners to join us in our efforts. If you have friends or colleagues at companies or organizations that you think would be interested in serving as Clean Air Coordinators or Employee Transportation Coordinators, please ask them to call (314) 645-5505, ext. 1007, or send an e-mail to sfuchs@breathehealthy.org for information on how they can take action that makes a difference
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