When and how you fill your car with gas actually does make a difference for the environment. When fueling up, follow these tips…

Always replace your vehicle gas cap tightly after fueling up: Leaving it off or somewhat off can leach gasoline vapors into the atmosphere which contributes to ozone problems. Many newer cars come with attached gas caps, but if yours does not, considering a dot of brightly colored paint on the cap to remind you or a note on the dash of your car.

Get gas during down time: If you go when everyone else goes to get gas, you’ll spend longer amounts of time just idling in the gas station line. Get gas when it’s less busy, not on your lunch break or at 5pm.

Don’t fuel up on ozone action days: Ozone action days or Air Quality Action Days usually occur on hot, muggy days with little wind. This sort of weather can cause ground-level ozone levels to reach less healthy than usual amounts. According to the EPA, symptoms of breathing ground level ozone are chest pain, coughing, nausea, throat irritation, and congestion and aggravate bronchitis, heart disease, emphysema, and asthma. You can sign up for alerts about ozone action days at AIRNow. The EPA further notes that if you have to fuel up on an ozone action day you should do so in the early morning or later evening.

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Post from: Blisstree

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