There are lots of little things you can do to help the environment.
Carpooling is one.
Not idling your vehicle for long periods of time is another.
So is mowing your yard after 6:00 p.m.
Each hour you spend mowing your lawn is the equivalent of driving 20 miles in your car. If you mow in the evening, it prevents bad ozone buildup during the hottest part of the day.
More information for tips.
What is Shreveport doing?
The City of Shreveport is trying to do its share, too, by getting the word out about ozone. In addition, the city is working on an Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) that will speed traffic flow and cut down on the amount of time spent idling at stoplights. The city is also developing an "Ozone Flex Plan" agreement with the government, in cooperation with neighboring Bossier City and the Parishes of Bossier and Caddo, agreeing to take voluntary measures to reduce bad ozone.
It is important to work to change what we can control, because so much of what happens is out of our control. For example, studies conducted using computer modeling consistently show that Shreveport/Bossier's air is impacted by industry in East Texas and the refineries in Houston and along the Texas Gulf Coast. In fact, if you take a look at the ozone buildup over the course of an 8-hour day, you will see that it often begins building over Houston, Dallas, and East Texas first, then spreads to NW Louisiana.
Ground-level ozone is also a by-product of trees, of all things. Grant Parish, home of Kisatchie National Forest, but no major cities or industry, has an ozone level which at times can be nearly as high as ours. Ozone also has a season, just like hurricanes. That season is May 1-October 1, so expect levels to be higher then.
