Widespread calls for Americans in certain parts of the country to change their behavior to reduce air pollution were described today as “outrageous.”
The Indiana Department of Environment urged Residents should turn off their lights to reduce harmful ozone levels, while Southern California officials are advising people Drive slowly this weekend to limit the amount of dust released into the air.
Both recommendations appear to have been passed down by AirNow, a federal agency that issues guidelines on what to do in situations where air pollution is high.
While these unusual warnings have only been officially implemented in two states, government data shows that at least 25 states have similar air pollution levels.
Ohio and other parts of the Midwest appear to be most at risk.
Experts told DailyMail.com the requests were “outrageous”, “unscientific” and “overblown”, adding that there was little evidence that behavioural changes had any effect on air pollution levels.
Data from AirNow, an Environmental Protection Agency air quality data source, revealed that more than 20 states are under surveillance for high levels of air pollution. Those measurements are what prompted Thursday’s “outrageous” orders in Indiana and California.
“This could be another attempt to do something with the Americans,” said Fernando Correa, founder and CEO of Lightcore Energy Solutions.
‘If we look back, we see what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We could say that it is a control tactic, but we could also say that it is not (because we will never really know).
Correa was referring to stay-at-home orders, social distancing and mask mandates in 2020.
There is still debate about how effective these measures were in reducing infections.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has declared an Air Quality Action Day effective through Friday for the northwest, north central and southeast parts of the state.
The alert prompted the National Weather Service to urge residents to “conserve energy by turning off lights or setting air conditioning to 75 degrees or higher.”
“Avoid refueling your vehicle or using gasoline-powered cutting equipment until after 7 p.m.,” the weather service warned.
‘Avoid using the drive-thru and combine errands into one trip. Turn off the engine when idling for more than 30 seconds.’
Meanwhile, on Thursday afternoon, the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) issued a windblown dust advisory for the Coachella Valley area of Southern California.
Gusts of up to 30 miles per hour are expected to lift particulate matter (PM2.5) into the air, meaning drivers should “limit their exposure by staying indoors with windows and doors closed or seeking alternative shelter,” the agency said.
The AQMD warned drivers to “reduce speed when driving on dirt roads” and to “help minimize dust pollution by stabilizing loose soils.”
He also urged people to “avoid strenuous physical activity. Turn on air conditioning and/or an air purifier. If possible, do not use evaporative air coolers or whole-house fans that bring in outside air.”
Juda Engelmayer, who runs a crisis management firm in New York that specializes in environmental issues, said: “(The orders in Indiana and California) seem like absurd ideas from people who are just running around looking for solutions to problems they don’t even understand.
The National Weather Service advised Indiana residents to turn off their lights to reduce ozone levels, but provided no scientific evidence to support the request.
The weather service also advised residents to “avoid refueling their vehicles or using gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment.”
‘The number of people driving on California’s dirt roads is not what causes dust storms and windblown dust, or dust and poor air quality.
“As for the lights… that’s not work when landlords and tenants see that street signs, billboards and commercial areas are well lit,” he added, noting that the orders were “outrageous.”
Data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that many states in the South, around the Great Lakes and the Northeast are close to reaching high levels of ozone and particulate matter (PM2.5).
An agency map also lists parts of Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin as “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups,” which is the same category found in Indiana.
Ozone, a major component of smog, is present, as is that found in the linings of human lungs.
Fine particles are formed in the atmosphere as a result of complex reactions of chemical substances, such as pollutants emitted by power plants, industries and automobiles.
These create particle pollution that can be less than 10 micrometers in diameter, allowing them to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream.
AirNow has a list of ozone-reducing recommendations on its website, including turning off lights and appliances, avoiding idling, and inflating tires to the recommended pressure.
A 2019 study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that a 12 percent increase in summer energy efficiency — by turning off power in homes — could translate into 475 lives saved from air pollution each year in the U.S.
The team said this was due to lower energy production at power plants, which are major sources of pollution.
However, the study was conducted over three years and Indiana’s orders will last about 24 hours.
“It’s a Band-Aid on a machete cut, and Indiana could help people reduce pollution by providing incentives to carpool or use public transportation, and improve those systems as well,” Engelmayer said.
Southern California authorities are advising people to drive slowly this weekend to limit the amount of dust released into the air.
‘They could encourage solar power in homes and businesses, and many other things besides monitoring what people do in their homes.’
In California, the alert followed days of poor air quality in the region due to the Bridge and Line fires northeast of Los Angeles.
A smoke alert was issued earlier this week and will remain in effect until at least 11 p.m. PT on Friday.
“The number of people driving on California’s dirt roads is not what causes dust storms and windblown dust, or dust and poor air quality,” Engelmayer said.
‘It is the lack of water, the dryness of the soil and the inability of environmental agencies in California and perhaps even the United States to make difficult, and perhaps even unpopular (among certain segments of the sociopolitical population), decisions such as redirecting water flow to arid areas.
“Decisions about how to use pumps and fish protection facilities, which are key elements of the State Water Project, are causing this. However, it is easier to tell someone to drive slowly than to make an actual decision.”
Working alongside the working groups from both states is a team of scientists who analyze air quality to make decisions like those heard on Thursday, which Correa suggested should be better known.
“It’s not possible, because if you do those things in one region, in one city or, let’s say, in one state, it’s very little,” he said.
“Because this is a global problem, then it seems that (the demands) are exaggerated, because it does not affect.”