But here's the good news: you can help improve air quality where you live!

• Make a commitment to take personal action to reduce air pollution by driving less, carpooling, walking, biking and using public transit to destinations, conserving energy, recycling, planting a tree and not smoking.
• Become a participant or a sponsor of the Kids for Clean Air, Tools for Schools, Clean Air Month or Clean Air for our Community programs.
• Support new clean air technology and consumer products such as zero-emission vehicles, electric lawnmowers, and less toxic cleaning products.

Examples of important national and state activities include advocating for the maintenance and enforcement of strong Federal and State Clean Air Acts, the revised U.S. EPA Ozone (smog) and Fine Particulate Matter (soot) health standards, and California's Zero Emission Vehicle program. At the local level, the Association serves the Air Pollution Control District Advisory Board and on other workgroups and task forces which look at specific rules and regulations impacting power plant, industrial, automobile and consumer product air pollution emissions.

Environmental Justice
In 1990, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported that "racial minority and low-income populations experience higher than average exposures to selected air pollutants, hazardous waste facilities, contaminated fish, and agricultural pesticides. Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people in the development and administration of environmental laws. For the American Lung Association, environmental justice represents the need to focus services on people with limited resources living in at-risk communities where air pollution and asthma rates are higher.

One such community is San Diego's Barrio Logan. The Association is part of the Barrio Logan Air Monitoring Workgroup, which is currently overseeing an air monitoring study to identify specific air pollutants contributing to the high rate of respiratory symptoms in Barrio Logan's children and families. Once identified, strategies will be developed to reduce levels of these pollutants and protect public health.