Earth Gauge Tip of the Week — School Haze?

Reader Contribution by Earth Gauge
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This is the time of year when kids head back to school.  About 25 million kids ride the bus to and from school each day and experts estimate that 10 to 14 percent of all personal vehicle trips made during the peak morning commuting hours are taking kids to school.  Increased traffic and idling vehicles create air pollutants that can aggravate asthma and other respiratory conditions.  Kids are more susceptible to health effects from poor air quality because their systems are not fully developed.  They also spend more time engaged in high activity levels, which causes them to breathe more deeply.

Viewer Tip:  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency monitors outdoor air quality at schools around the country to look for air pollutants of concern and devise ways to improve air quality near schools, including reducing idling from school buses.  If you drive your kids to school, you can help reduce traffic and improve air quality with these tips:

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