May 25, 2009|By Timothy B. Wheeler | Timothy B. Wheeler,tim.wheeler@baltsun.com
Baltimore-area residents are being asked to help reduce climate-warming pollution by turning back their thermostats and buying energy-efficient appliances and lightbulbs, under a new regional campaign.
Clean Air Partners, a nonprofit group set up by the Baltimore Metropolitan Council and Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, recently launched the effort, called the Clean Air Pledge. Participants are asked to sign up online to receive daily air-quality alerts about potentially unhealthful levels of ozone or particle air pollution. They're also asked to pledge to take steps to reduce energy consumption in their homes, with information supplied on how much each action would yield.
"This is something we can all do, just to take a small step and collectively we can all make a big difference," said Harriet West, managing director of the partnership.
The regional campaign piggybacks on a nationwide effort mounted by the Environmental Protection Agency. It aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the Baltimore and Washington area by 13 million pounds by next April, which the group says is equivalent to taking 1,000 cars off the region's highways. Launched two weeks ago, the campaign has only amassed pledges to reduce emissions by about 49,000 pounds, West said, but the effort will be increased and expanded in coming weeks to appeal to area businesses and governments to make similar pledges.
For more information, go to cleanairpartners.net/cleanairpledge.cfm or call 1-877-515-4593.
