Fresh Air News Winter 2023 | Clean Air Force

Fresh Air News

Winter 2023

What is the Clean Air Force of Central Texas?

We work to keep Central Texas’ Air Healthy

Did you know that Austin is the ONLY large city in America that has always met the EPA’s National Air Quality Standards and never fallen out of attainment? The region is not just lucky. The Clean Air Force of Central Texas works hard to keep air pollution under control and air clean!

Founded in 1993, the CLEAN AIR Force of Central Texas is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to working with industry, government, and organizations to safeguard and improve air quality in Central Texas. We are a collaborative resource advocating for clean air in Central Texas, from San Antonio to Waco. We look to inform, educate, and promote proactive air pollution-reducing activities in Central Texas.

Place an Air Sensor at Your Child’s School

We still have 9 air sensors we want to place in schools throughout Central Texas. Would you like one at your child’s school?

Through the generous support of Clean Air Partners Austin FC | Atlas and Air Central Texas/Capital Area Council of Governments, we have PurpleAir particulate sensors we can install at schools at no charge. We will also provide the teachers with an Air Quality Teaching Module to help the children better understand the importance of air quality.

Why Particulate Matter Sensors?

The Be Air Smart School Sensor Program uses PurpleAir Particulate Matter sensors. These sensors measure ultra-fine particles that are 2.5 microns or less. That’s tiny! These particles are only about 1/30^th the width of a human hair. This pollution comes from natural sources, such as trees and the soil, but is more often caused by diesel trucks, buses, and construction projects. Children are susceptible to particulate matter pollution, as their lungs are still in development. Placing a sensor at a school will help parents and teachers recognize if there is a problem with the air surrounding the school and neighborhood.

How the Sensors Work

The sensors are installed outside, typically on a pole or the side of the school building. They must be able to be plugged into 110 power, so an exterior outlet has to be nearby. They also must connect to the Internet, so they need access to Wi-Fi. Once installed, they will provide constant real-time readouts sent via the Internet to a map on the PurpleAir website.

Students, teachers, and community members can check the PurpleAir website to find the readings for their sensor. Students can use the sensors’ data to compare their air quality with other areas of the city or region.

If your school would like a sensor, email jstephens@cleanairforce.org and we can set up a time to discuss the details. There is no charge to the school or teachers for the sensor. Sensors have been donated by Air Central Texas, a unit of the Capital Area Council of Governments, and Austin FC | Atlas.

School of Sustainability is in Session

Clean Air Partner Profile: Austin ISD

At Austin Independent School District, they teach the “3 Rs” to be sure. But there is also a big emphasis on “S,” too. “S” for sustainability, “S” for stewardship of the environment, and “S” for Saving Energy.

Led by Director of Sustainability Darien Clary, who also serves on the Clean Air Force Board of Directors, the district has a six-pronged focus. As Clary puts it, “Imagine a flower with six petals. Each petal represents a major initiative to support reducing energy use and having cleaner water, fresher air, and a healthier environment for our students and their families.”

The Six Petals

Significant Commitment by the Board of Trustees through implementing an Environmental Sustainability Policy in 2011. The policy encourages specific actions by district employees and schools and supports students, teachers, and staff efforts to develop environment-friendly solutions.
Clean and Green Energy. Thirteen schools and one support building have solar panels, producing the amount of electricity to power 230 homes. Additionally, the district purchases green power (wind-produced) through Austin Energy’s Green Choice Program. Austin ISD is ranked second in the nation by the EPA for using green power in a K-12 school district.
Bond Programs to build new schools and remodel existing buildings that meet Green Building Certification standards. AISD anticipates 31 green-certified schools through the 2017 and 2022 bond programs. . This includes pollution prevention, head island reduction, energy efficiency, green power, EV charging stations, bicycle facilities, carpooling, and locally-sourced building materials.
EV Charging Stations and EV Buses. The district already has 26 sites with Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations, with more planned. By 2035 they plan to have the entire district’s bus fleet—some 500 buses, transitioned from diesel to electric.
Trees reduce air pollution. The district has planted 850 trees at 16 schools and plans an additional 390 at six other schools. On district property, there are a total of over 15,000 trees.
Partnerships. The district, a long-time Clean Air Partner of the Clean Air Force, recently partnered with Air Central Texas, a unit of the Capital Area Council of Governments), and the Clean Air on the “Be Air Smart” School Sensor program. The district has twelve particulate sensors installed at area schools and plans to add more. Other partnerships include the Ghisallo Foundation, which promotes biking to school and work; Safe Routes to School, which encourages walking and biking; and CapMetro, which provides free public transportation to students.

We are proud to count Austin ISD as a key Clean Air Partner. The district is providing an exceptional model of how to be an effective educational resource while also helping the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the beautiful Texas environment we all enjoy.

Will 2023 Air Quality Be Like 2022?

Without question, the 2022 Ozone Season, which stretched from March to October, was a bad one. The Texas Commission called twenty-five Ozone Action Days on Environmental Quality. Ozone Monitors across the region reported near-record-setting high amounts of pollution. The monitors indicated multiple times during 2022 when the area exceeded EPA standards.

Is this the new normal?

No. The best predictions are that it is not normal and that in 2023 we should return to better air quality.

It is vital to note that Central Texas generally has some of the best air quality in the state and the nation. Austin is the only large city in America that has never gone out of EPA “Attainment” for any of the six types of air pollution the federal government measures. Attainment means that the region stays below the minimum levels of pollution set by the EPA. 2022 was an outlier and not at all normal.

More good news is that The Austin-Round Rock metro area has consistently performed much better than the statewide average for Ozone. In 2021 the Texas average was 77, and Austin-Round Rock was 63. Our region has beaten EPA standards since 2005, and we are doing better every year.

In fact, for the past seven years, overall pollution emissions have decreased, even in 2022. While we had terrible times during the Ozone season (March to October), 2022 as a whole was not a bad year for pollution.

So, what happened in 2022?

In a word: Heat. Multiple hot, dry days, with almost no rain, created hotter-than-average temperatures. Winds blew in pollution from other parts of the state.

Do we hit the Panic Button about Air Pollution?

Absolutely NOT! We must remain vigilant and work to reduce pollution, but overall, we are headed in the right direction. At this point, 2022 was an aberration, not the new normal. But it does not hurt to pray for rain, either. Rain is an excellent neutralizer of air pollution.

And we need to continue working to reduce the pollution we create through transportation, power generation, manufacturing, and chemical use. That is where the Clean Air Force comes in.

What role does the Clean Air Force play in air quality improvement?

We at the Clean Air Force of Central Texas do not take credit for our region’s success in reducing air pollution, but we have played a significant part. Founded in 1993 to help reduce rising levels of pollutants in the area, for nearly 30 years, we have worked to improve the air we all breathe. We work collaboratively with 33 private, public, university, and non-profit “Clean Air Partners” committed to continuously reducing their polluting emissions. Our partners include some of the largest employers in the region, and together, they are making a difference. With everyone committed to reducing pollution, we can hope that 2022 will not be repeated!

We welcome three new Clean Air Partners

Audubon Texas
Audubon Texas is the state branch of the National Audubon Society. It works to protect and manage wild bird populations. Birds are the “canaries in the coal mine” regarding air and water pollution. They are the first to be impacted by pollution, so ensuring good air quality is also a way to protect our wild birds! Audubon Texas will join us as a community partner. Dallas Kelly, their Director of Public Affairs, will be their board representative.

Montrose Environmental
Montrose Environmental is a water and air testing service based in Arkansas, but with a significant presence in our area, with offices in Cedar Park and New Braunfels. The Board member for Montrose will be Jenna Granstra.

Earn-A-Bike
Earn-A-Bike joins the Clean Air Force as a non-profit partner. They are based in San Antonio and promote bicycling as an alternative to driving, allowing people to earn a bicycle through service. Earn-A-Bike was responsible for the placement of our two monitors in San Antonio. Their Board Member will be Cristina Ramirez.

Garfield the Cat Would Like to Know!

Fans of the Garfield the Cat comic strip will remember that Garfield was always ready to box up the dog, “Odie,” and send him to Ouagadougou. It might have been a comic, but Ouagadougou is a real place and is the capital of the African nation of Burkina Faso. The bad news is that if Odie had arrived there, he might have come out wheezing. As this is being written, the Air Quality Index (AQI) for Ouagadougou is a whopping 329, dangerously high and extremely unhealthy. To put it in perspective, the EPA standard for the U.S. is to stay below 70.

If you have ever wondered, “Do people in India, China, or Africa contend with poor air quality,” the answer is often “yes.”

You can follow the AQI for hundreds of locations worldwide at a website called “World’s Air Pollution.” Find it at waqi. info. You can look at the entire globe, or focus on a specific area of a country or city. The map is real-time and continually updated with current monitor readings.

Meet our Board Chair: Melissa Reynolds

We welcome Melissa Reynolds as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Clean Air Force of Central Texas.

Melissa was elected Chair of the Board at the November Board meeting and will serve a two-year term. She replaces Dr. Elena Craft, who becomes the Immediate Past Chair.

Melissa is the Global Director of Environmental Health and Safety, Systems, and Solutions, at Emerson Automation Solutions and is a long-time advocate for reducing air pollution.

Joining Melissa and Elena as Board Officers are Zoe Trieff, Vice-Chair; Adele Noel, Treasurer; Rick Perkins, Secretary; and Paige Ellis, Member at Large.

The board consists of one representative from each of our 33 Clean Air Partners.