Air, fire and water

Summertime, and the living’s easy. On the other hand, breathing, especially when ozone pollution gets trapped on the Sacramento Valley floor, can be a chore, particularly for those who suffer from asthma and other respiratory ailments. Fortunately, there’s something you can do about it, and the Sacramento Regional Air Quality Resource is here to help. Here’s its top 10 tips on making it easier for everyone to breathe this summer: Drive less, take public transportation more, carpool to work, sign up for air alerts at www.sparetheair.com, refuel your automobile in the evening and never top off the tank, combine all your errands into one trip, telecommute more, avoid consumer spray products, don’t use charcoal lighter fluid to light your barbecue and, finally, replace your gas-powered lawn equipment with electric or hand-powered tools.

The air you breathe isn’t the only thing you’ve got to worry about this summer. This is the season of ridiculously high electric bills and abnormally high peak electric loads, due mainly to beating back the fierce and forbidding summer heat via air conditioners. This time, it’s the California Energy Commission at www.energy.ca.gov riding to the rescue with their top energy-saving tips. No. 1, set your thermostat to 78 degrees when you’re home and 85 degrees when you’re out. For each degree above 72 degrees, you’ll save between 1 and 3 percent on your electric bill. You can also use a portable fan, which can lower room temperatures by as much as 4 degrees. To help the state meet electrical demand during peak load hours, don’t run any major electrical appliances.

One thing compounding the state’s summer electrical woes is the ongoing drought, which has limited the amount of water that can be used to produce hydroelectricity. For conserving more water this summer, information provided by the state Department of Water Resources at www.water.ca.gov comes in handy. The best thing about the tips offered by the three agencies mentioned here? Most of them won’t cost you a dime and will actually save you money, while helping your fellow citizens out as well. That’s the kind of karma you just can’t buy.