The Baltimore-Washington area is known for hosting vibrant outdoor activities and events all summer long. From music festivals to farmers’ markets, residents look forward to getting outside and enjoying the fresh, summertime air. However, the season’s warmer temperatures also bring an increase in the production of ground-level ozone.

Breathing in ground-level ozone can reduce lung function by 20 percent and can trigger health reactions by those most particularly sensitive to poor air quality – children, older adults, those with asthma, respiratory or pulmonary conditions, athletes, and those most often outdoors – in addition to adversely affecting the environment. 

Poor air quality means that more than 7.5 million people in the greater Baltimore-Washington region– especially the more than 500,000 adults and 190,000 children with asthma – can’t fully enjoy the outdoors this summer. 

With all of this in mind, Clean Air Partners is launching its Breathe Easy campaign to raise awareness of the impact of everyday actions on air quality and public health. As part of its Breathe Easy campaign, Clean Air Partners is also giving away tickets to the JAY-Z & Beyoncé concert in Landover, Maryland on July 27. For a chance to win, just share how you help keep the air clean through July 20.

The Breathe Easy campaign encourages residents to help improve regional air quality, save money, and protect their health by following these simple steps:

• Use public transit
• Telecommute or carpool
• Refuel your car after dusk during the summer
• Inflate your tires to the proper level
• Turn off lights and electronics when not in use
• Clean HVAC filters each month
• Use a gas or electric grill instead of charcoal
• Switch to an electric-powered lawn mower
• Download the Clean Air Partners App to check daily air quality levels

“We want to remind everyone that small steps can make a big difference in improving our region’s air quality,” said Clean Air Partners Chairman William R. Ellis. “By following these few easy steps, you will not only help improve the air quality in our region, but you will also save money on gas and utilities in the process.”

ABOUT
Clean Air Partners is a public-private partnership established by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council in 1997. For more than 20 years, Clean Air Partners has empowered individuals and organizations to take simple actions to reduce pollution and protect public health.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jeff Salzgeber, jeffs@sherrymatthews.com, (512) 743-2659

MORE: www.cleanairpartners.net