It's been a rainy day here in Los Angeles and I have no doubt that my fellow Angelenos are enjoying the clean air. In 2011, L.A. was rated the second most polluted city in the U.S.. Overall, roughly half of the population of the United States (a whopping 50.3% or 154.4 million individuals) live in counties with unhealthy levels of either ozone or particle pollution.

Air pollution linked to asthma, heart attacks, strokes, cancer...

If you search the Science Daily's index for "air pollution" you'll find over one-thousand articles reporting on the links between air pollution and a host of health problems-- everything from asthma to strokes and breast cancer.

The two leading sources of air pollution in the United States are transportation and coal fired energy plants. While these sources can appear to be mainstays in our country's infrastructure and daunting to change, they also provide a clear view of what needs to be done to tackle a growing problem.

It's tough to feel empowered when reading an article that starts with: Short-term exposure (for up to 7 days) to all major air pollutants, with the exception of ozone, is significantly associated with an increased risk of heart attack.

Quick n' easy solutions:

However, there is reason to feel empowered. Many reasons, actually. If you research "alternative energy" on Science Daily, you'll find twice as many articles about research, development and policy-making revolving around finding solutions to air pollution: Finding clean, alternative energy sources. Although finding the right energy source involves scientific and political integrity-- e.g. cellulosic ethanol produces fewer global emissions while corn ethanol has been shown to have a very large eco-footprint and a system mostly favored by interest groups-- the overall trend is that cleaner energy systems are the way of the future.

So while researchers and analysts find ways to transition our country away from existing and soon-to-be archaic transportation and energy systems, we as individuals can do our part to reduce air pollution by making better choices that reduce the footprints of these systems.

Here are a few ways to reduce sources of air pollution and save money:

TRANSPORTATION:
For every gallon of gasoline that's burned, 20 pounds of carbon dioxide are produced. And that's just carbon dioxide. Other vehicular-exhaust air pollutants include mercury, sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide.

• BUY LOCAL CONSUMER GOODS- Sounds simple, but every little bit does add up. Buying from local businesses also helps support the local economy in your own community.
• EAT LOCAL- You breathe what you eat: The average food item on your plate travels a whopping 1500 miles from farm-to-plate! Here's a list of 10 ways on how to eat local, from Eat Local.
  
• WALK, BIKE, SKIP- Leave the exhaust behind by walking, biking and even choosing public transportation when possible. 
• TRIP LINK- If you use a car to run errands, group tasks together so that you can group them together.
• DITCH AAA FOR BW- Consider joining the Better World Club, which provides roadside service, insurance, and other products and services that the American Automobile Association (AAA) does...while taking it farther supporting a smarter and more eco-friendly transportation system in the U.S.
  
• WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS- The next time you're looking to move, consider this: Real estate prices and trends show that more and more people consider the "walkable score" or "walkability index" when looking for a new home.
• DON'T IDLE- If you plan to pull over in your car and sit for longer than a minute, shut your engine off.
  

ENERGY:
No matter which of the 50 states you live in, approximately 54% of your electricity comes from a coal-powered plant. Burning coal is a leading cause of air pollution, smog, acid rain and other global warming emissions.

• UNPLUG, TURN OFF, WALK AWAY- Turn off your computer and any electronics with an LCD screen to reduce standby power. Also turn off your room lights when you walk out. Unless you return in ~3 seconds or less, you'll save money by turning it off. Remember, 50% of your energy comes from dirty coal.
• DIAL IT DOWN- In the winter, set your thermostat to 68 at daytime and 55 at night. During spring and summer, set thermostat to 78 degrees or more. 
• FAN IT- Install a fan to circulate warm air in the winter and cold air in the spring and summer.
• APPLIANCES-
  
• Upgrade to Energy Star appliances to increase efficiencies by about fifty-percent!!
  
• Clean the filter on your fridge every 2-3 months and more often if you have pets.
  
• Set fridge thermostat between 38-42 F, and your freezer to 0-5 F.
• LINE DRY- Get hip with line drying! You'll save a bundle on your electricity bill...and here are 9 more benefits why you should line dry.
  
• WEATHERIZE IT- Weatherize your home!
  
• WASH IN COLD- Washing your clothes in cold water will reduce the cost by 90%! You should also opt to wash full loads.
• Visit the U.S. Dept. of Energy's comprehensive list of energy saving tips.

If you think that the problem is too large to face,

that individuals cannot make a difference,

that you needn't bother taking steps to reduce air pollution (and global warming gases),

I leave you with these words from Michael Pollan:

If you do bother, you will set an example for other people.

If enough other people bother, each one influencing yet another in a chain reaction of behavioral change, markets for all manner of green products and alternative technologies will prosper and expand. (Just look at the market for hybrid cars.)

Consciousness will be raised, perhaps even changed. (Pollan, 2008)