Simple changes make SA a healthier place to live

You see them everywhere you look these days—ten ways to improve your health, five ways to lose weight, three ways to increase your IQ. We are constantly trying to improve ourselves in a variety of ways, but there is something that everyone could do to benefit the health of the whole community and that’s reducing ozone. A large proportion of the ground-level ozone generated in the San Antonio area comes from exhaust and fumes from vehicles. A few easy changes you can make to reduce the amount of harmful ozone in the air can help everyone breathe a little better.

If you’re not able to jump on a VIA bus, walk, ride a bike or yes, even hop on an e-scooter, then the number one thing you can do is conserve fuel. You’re probably attempting to do that already. Your vehicle more than likely has some sort of gas-saving or eco-friendly button. But if you really want to help make a dent on the ozone here are some ways to conserve fuel:

• No Tokyo drifting: Avoid aggressive driving, try to start and stop gradually.
• Calm down Speed Racer: Drive the posted speed limit or less.
• Get some steps in: Avoid the drive-thru lanes and take a short walk inside a restaurant.
• Silence is golden: Shut off your engine while waiting outside of schools, businesses, and drive-thru only restaurants.
• Lean and mean: Spring cleaning is not just for your house, remove bulky items that don’t need to be in your vehicle and move them to your garage or storage. 
• Twist and shout: Well maybe don’t shout, but make sure your gas cap clicks three times after fueling up.

CPS Energy doesn’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk. We take reducing ozone seriously around these parts. In fact, it is a company-wide policy that vehicles must be shut off and not allowed to idle. We also encourage employees to carpool, mow late in the evening or use electric lawn equipment and maintain proper tire pressure in personal and company vehicles. In addition, CPS Energy has invested in a cleaner, greener fleet by purchasing 34 XLP plug-in hybrid electric Ford F-150 trucks in spring 2018.

There’s even more that you can do to reduce ozone and you can find that out by checking in with our friends at AACOG (Alamo Area Council of Governments). Want to get more involved in improving transportation and our air quality here in San Antonio? Attend the Transportation Conformity Public Meeting on Tuesday, March 5 at the VIA Metro Center. Click here for more information.