AIRNOW

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AIRNOW A New Way to Look at the
Atmosphere Template Presentation for Regional
Toolkit
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What is AIRNOW?

• Cooperative effort between U.S. EPA, NPS, state
  and local air agencies to collect, quality
  assure, and transfer real-time and forecast air
  quality information to the public
• Utilizes the Air Quality Index (AQI) a national
  reporting program that links air quality levels
  to cautionary health messages
• Fast and easy access for the media to deliver
  understandable air quality information that will
  help the public make good health- based decisions
  about their daily activities

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Why Air Quality?
Number of People Living in Counties With Air
Quality Concentrations above the Level of the
NAAQS in 2002
Based on air quality data from 2002,
approximately 146 million people live in
counties where monitored air was unhealthy
-- EPA 2002 Status
and Trends Report
National Ambient Air Quality Standards
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Whats Available Now?

• Real-time ozone
• animations

• Next-day AQI
• forecasts

www.epa.gov/airnow
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How is it being used?On Air

• Local/regional
• coverage

• National
• coverage

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and in Print
h
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So Whats Next?

• Expanded Air Quality Index forecasting

Your forecast to breathe by
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Expanded AQI Forecasting

• Who Millions of people
• What Year-round monitoring forecasting air
  quality
• Where Available for cities across the U.S.
• When Launched Nationally October 1
• How The same familiar 5-color system
• Today is forecast to be a code red day. This
  means that air quality is unhealthy for everyone
  and everyone should avoid strenuous activities.

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Why Particle Pollution

• Microscopic particles in the air
• Also called particulate matter, PM, fine
  particles or haze
• Creates atmospheric haze
• Comes from vehicle exhaust, fires, industrial
  and agricultural processes
• Can be breathed deep into the lungs and causes
  significant health threats

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The doctor says particle pollution

• Aggravates lung disease including asthma
• Aggravates heart disease including congestive
  heart failure
• Resulting in
• More premature deaths
• More admissions to hospitals
• More trips to emergency rooms
• More visits to doctors offices
• More school and work absences
• More symptom days

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So Whos at Risk?

• People with heart or lung disease
• (including asthma)
• Conditions make them vulnerable
• Older adults
• Greater prevalence of heart and lung
• disease
• Children
• More likely to be active
• Breathe more air per pound
• Bodies still developing

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What can you show?
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What do you say?
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One more time

• Particles are a significant health problem
• Affect different groups of people
• A year-round problem
• Both indoors and outdoors
• Day and night
• You can make a difference!

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Get the Tools You Need

• www.epa.gov/airnow
• At-a-glance messages
• Health messages and tips
• Web updates to materials you can use to talk
  about air quality
• National and regional real-time maps and graphics