Author: Julie Hauser

The American Lung Association’s recently released “State of the Air” report finds that despite decades of progress cleaning up air pollution, 39% of people living in America – 131.2 million individuals – still live in places with failing grades for unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. This is 11.7 million more people breathing unhealthy air compared to the years covered by the 2023 report (2019-2021), which reinforces the need to protect our local communities from the continued risks to public health resulting from of a combination of factors, including extreme heat, drought, wildfire smoke and more.

For the eighth consecutive year, St. Louis avoided being ranked among the top 25 most ozone-polluted U.S. cities, coming in at number 30 on the list out of 228 metropolitan areas. The region ranked 33^rd on the list for most polluted cities by annual particle pollution, which is back six spots from the previous year. The most current report findings have added to the evidence that a changing climate is making the job of cleaning up the air and protecting human health more difficult. High ozone days and spikes in particle pollution related to extreme heat, drought and wildfires are putting millions of people at risk and adding challenges to the work that states and cities are doing across the nation to clean up air pollution.

According to the 2024 report, exposure to unhealthy levels of ozone air pollution continues to make breathing difficult for more people across the country than any other single pollutant. For the three years covered in this year’s report (2020-2022), some 100.6 million people lived in the 125 counties in 26 states that earned an “F” grade for ozone, including St. Charles County in Missouri and Madison County in Illinois. This means that three of every 10 people – including 22.5 million infants and children, 15.5 million people age 65 or older and tens of millions in other groups at risk of health harm – are exposed to high levels of ozone on enough days to earn the air they breathe a failing grade.

While ozone air pollution remains a serious threat to public health, one trend continuing in a positive direction for the fourth consecutive report is the number of people living in counties with a failing grade for ozone that actually declined, this year by 2.4 million people. The long-term trend of improvement can be attributed to controls placed on emissions that have increasingly resulted in the replacement of more polluting engines, fuels and industrial processes nationwide.

For more on ways to do your share for cleaner air this summer and to stay alert about regional ozone pollution levels, sign up to receive the daily air quality forecasts at CleanAir-StLouis.com, like the Clean Air Partnership on Facebook, or follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, @gatewaycleanair.

To access the full 2024 “State of the Air” report, visit Lung.org.

StraightUp Solar is a ­­­Missouri and Illinois-based solar installation company that offers a full range of services from design-to-build (engineering, procurement, construction and installation) for solar systems, battery storage, smart panels and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Since 2006, the company has installed more than 2,800 residential and commercial-scale solar projects for customers who have reaped the benefits of saving money and supporting a healthier environment that features more natural, eco-friendly energy use. These efforts helped StraightUp Solar earn the esteemed title of St. Louis Green Business Challenge Champion in 2023, as the company was able to demonstrate their commitment to continued implementation of deeper sustainability strategies.

“The St. Louis Green Business Challenge network, webinars and events inspire us to examine our business operations and implement new sustainable alternatives,” said Eric Schneider, Director of Business Development for StraightUp Solar. “We are honored to join likeminded companies dedicated to reducing our environmental footprint to improve our communities.”

During the 2023 Challenge, StraightUp Solar’s headquarters in Maryland Heights produced 153 megawatt hours of solar energy, offsetting 66 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and recycled 55,000 pounds of solar panels, microinverters and other solar energy equipment. Within its own offices, the company committed to using only green cleaning products, refillable pens and pencils and recycled content paper for all business operations, in addition to having supplied organic fruit and snacks in the employee lunchroom. Additionally, 10 solar-powered EV charging stations were made open to the public at company headquarters.

Other impressive accomplishments included the company maintaining Benefit Corporation (B Corp) certification, which is unique in the business world because that means they place people and planet above profit and commit to high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability. Consequently, the company has continued operating under a hybrid office model to reduce harmful automobile emissions from commuting, which greatly impacts air quality!

To reinforce its values of advocating for solar energy and educating the community about sustainable practices for a healthier future, StraightUp Solar provided hands-on solar training to K–12 educators in Southern Illinois and partnered with Employment Connections for a Solar 101 workforce training class. Last but not least, the company also sponsored earthday 365 Environmental Days of Justice, Forest ReLeaf Arbormeisters, ParkLands Foundation and Southern Illinois University Sustainability.

For more information about StraightUp Solar and how your company can get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, subscribe to the Challenge’s bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, @gatewaycleanair.

ESCO Technologies, headquartered in St. Louis, is a global provider of highly engineered products and solutions to diverse and growing end-markets that include the defense, aerospace, space, wireless, consumer electronics, healthcare, automotive, electric utility and renewable energy industries. The company consists of three technology-driven business segments – Aerospace & Defense, Utility Solutions Group and RF Test & Measurement. This month, the Clean Air Partnership is pleased to recognize ESCO Technologies for its responsibilities to mitigate environmental impact, protect its workers, improve the supply chain and enhance the communities they serve, all of which earned them recognition in the 2023 St. Louis Green Business Challenge at the Leader Level.

“Participating in the Challenge for the second year helped us find additional ways we can make ESCO and our employees more sustainable,” said Justin Prien, ESCO Technologies Director of Environmental Health and Safety. “We look forward to next year’s Challenge to help us further reduce our environmental footprint and benefit the communities where we operate.”

During the 2023 Challenge, ESCO Technologies participated in Operation Clean Stream at Castlewood State Park – one of the country’s most significant and longest-running river restoration projects – to encourage community engagement and conservation. To spark further engagement in sustainability efforts, the company gave all its employees native wildflowers, LED light bulbs and reusable cutlery sets for Earth Day and shared the many benefits of planting native plants, conserving energy with LED light bulbs and moving away from disposable cutlery. Additionally, ESCO Technologies created an internal SharePoint site for employees to access information on the company’s eco-conscious business practices and how to become more sustainable at both work and at home.

Other noteworthy accomplishments that helped earn them recognition in the Challenge include the implementation of a K-Cup recycling program that collected 79 pounds of used product, as well as newly installed water bottle filling stations that saved a total of 7,649 plastic water bottles. ESCO Technologies also published its 2022 Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) report and began reporting on hazardous waste generation as a part of the company’s environmental footprint metrics. The data showed reduced carbon intensity from 20.0 to 18.3 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO2e) per million dollars of revenue, from 2021 to 2022. This unit of measurement is used to compare the environmental impact and global warming potential of different greenhouse gases.

For more information on ESCO Technologies and how your company can get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, subscribe to the Challenge’s bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, @gatewaycleanair.

Air quality forecasting made its return to the region on May 1st, and the ozone season is kicking off with a reminder that the importance of keeping the air we breathe clean is at an all-time high. Millions of people living in America – including those that fall within the bi-state region’s non-attainment area – reside in communities impacted by unhealthy levels of air pollution in the form of high ozone days and increased levels of particulate matter more than ever before.  

“As we prepare to settle into the summer months when we’re at greater risk for poor air quality, the Clean Air Partnership urges area residents to continue their efforts to take voluntary steps to reduce emissions,” said Susannah Fuchs, Director of Clean Air for the American Lung Association in Missouri. “Those actions play a critical role in improving air quality conditions and helping people across the region breathe easier, which is especially important for sensitive populations like pregnant people, children, anyone 65 and older, people with existing lung diseases such as asthma and COPD, and those who work or exercise outdoors.” 

Since transportation has long been reported to have the most profound impact on air quality, making the choice to spend less time behind the wheel is an easy way to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Actions like using transit, carpooling and vanpooling, combining errands into a single trip, telecommuting, and walking and biking more to get around town all help take cars off area roads and keep related emissions out of our air. There are also many other eco-friendly lifestyle changes unrelated to commuting that individuals and businesses can consider to positively impact air quality and improve lung health, including efforts to conserve energy, recycle, reduce waste, reuse items and more.

During the forecasting season, the Partnership ramps up its efforts to inform area residents about ozone pollution levels in the region and how those levels can affect their health by releasing color-coded, daily air quality forecasts to let people know what the next day’s air quality is forecast to be and if they should alter their outdoor activities to minimize exposure to polluted air. This is especially crucial on orange or red days, which we saw an excess of this past year. Individuals can now sign up to receive the daily forecast via their email inboxes or text through the Environmental Protection Agency’s EnviroFlash air quality alert system by visiting CleanAir-StLouis.com. There, they can also access a wealth of air quality information and tips to do their share for cleaner air all summer long.

Additional air quality information and the daily forecast can be accessed by liking the Clean Air Partnership on Facebook, or by following the organization on X, formerly known as Twitter, @gatewaycleanair. 

Happy Earth Day! Spring is in full bloom and the green carpet rolled out today serves as a reminder of the importance of environmental conservation and sustainability, encouraging us to come together and take action for a healthier planet and brighter future. While eating greener, collecting recyclables and going outside to enjoy the beauty of nature are oftentimes popular Earth Day activities, there are countless ways to celebrate the holiday that can make a difference all year long.

Simple, eco-friendly lifestyle changes can go a long way when it comes to saving the earth and helping people all across the St. Louis region breathe easier. Here are some helpful tips to consider for celebrating Earth Day each and every day to keep the air quality in healthy ranges:

• Avoid idling your vehicle – Idling engines produce thousands of tons of toxic pollution, including air toxins which are known to cause cancer, respiratory and reproductive effects, birth defects and various other health concerns. For every 10 minutes your engine is off, you’ll help to prevent one pound of carbon dioxide from being released into our air, so turn your key and be idle free.

• Ditch disposable plastics – At this very minute, people around the world are buying a million plastic bottles, and most of these bottles will end up in landfills or in the ocean. Not only does the production of plastic bottles contribute significant amounts of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, their litter lingers for years on end. So next time you go for a walk or to the gym, think of Mother Earth and fill up a reusable water bottle. Take green one step further and bring your canvas bag when shopping for groceries, too, to reduce waste and improve air quality.

• Turn off lights and appliances not in use – Computers, tablets and other electrical devices still use electricity when plugged in, even though they may be idle. Once you wrap up working for the day from home or the office, be sure to power down your computer and unplug any unnecessary electronics. Additionally, when you have to leave home, do a walk-through and turn off all lights to reduce emissions, as energy production is a key source of air pollution.

• Volunteer for regular community clean-ups – On Earth Day especially, community groups often organize clean-up actions in parks, alongside area roads, rivers, etc. All you need is a trash bag, pair of work gloves, pokey stick, or a grabber and you’re good to go. But if you’re prevented from taking part in the clean-up, you can still help by spreading the good word or partaking in a future event. Area residents can check out any one of earthday365’s upcoming Environmental Justice Days of Action to do their share for cleaner air close to home.

Now is the perfect opportunity to get involved, celebrate the planet we live on and give back to it to create a better world for generations to come. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.

AmeriCorps St. Louis is a Soulard-based nonprofit that works to address community needs throughout the region through its robust network of member volunteers. As a participant in last year’s St. Louis Green Business Challenge, the organization incorporated a variety of sustainability initiatives into its programs, some of which included a variety of sustainable training opportunities for its members around environmental stewardship and disaster relief projects. These efforts helped AmeriCorps St. Louis earn the esteemed title of Challenge Champion in 2023, as the organization was able to demonstrate their commitment to continued implementation of deeper sustainability strategies.  

“This year, AmeriCorps St. Louis built on past Green Business Challenge accomplishments,” said Tim Elwell, Development Manager for AmeriCorps St. Louis. “Continuing our mission to strengthen communities and improve the environment, we introduced new initiatives and partnerships that expanded impacts beyond our operations. While we remain committed to environmental stewardship, the Challenge encouraged us to be creative about how we can implement sustainability elements throughout the organization.” 

During the 2023 Challenge, AmeriCorps St. Louis introduced an educational Green Series for its members to learn more about sustainability, featuring site visits and presentations from MOBOT (sustainable facilities), New Earth Farm (composting) and Republic Services (recycling), as well as other new topics. Additionally, the organization was invited to participate in a new project called the Life Cycle Evaluation Climate Change Bundle, which seeks to better understand the organization’s programs and its explicit connection to climate change. AmeriCorps St. Louis was one of four programs chosen to host a site visit for field and member data to contribute to Climate Change programming at AmeriCorps at the federal level.  

Other noteworthy accomplishments included supporting Treesilience, a national initiative aimed at growing healthy tree canopies and promoting urban forestry workforce development in communities where trees may be lacking or dying. AmeriCorps St. Louis members worked to fell hazardous ash trees at various parks around the region. A grant received from Wild Ones St. Louis Chapter also allowed a native plant garden to be established at AmeriCorps St. Louis’ offices in Soulard – now an officially registered native space – and has benefitted the region’s air quality. To take sustainability one step further, AmeriCorps St. Louis established a partnership with Enterprise Fleet Management to update its trucks to newer, more efficient vehicles, adding six new Chevrolet trucks to its fleet that will cut average cost per mile roughly in half. 

For more information on AmeriCorps St. Louis and how your company can get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, subscribe to the Challenge’s bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair. 

Office Essentials is a St. Louis-based, business products and services company that specializes in office supplies, office furniture, facilities and breakroom supplies and managed print services. With a commitment to delivering real value to customers by crafting customized yet simple plans to cut time, costs and carbon, the company takes pride in its ability to develop innovative solutions that drive long-term success for clients across various industries. This month, the Clean Air Partnership is pleased to shine a spotlight on Office Essentials for its eco-conscious product offerings and sustainability practices that helped the company earn the esteemed title of 2023 St. Louis Green Business Challenge Champion. 

“Through energy-efficient warehouse lighting and a commitment to offering sustainable business products, we illuminate a path towards a greener future,” said Kate Dougherty, president of Office Essentials. “As ambassadors for sustainable practices, we strive to not just connect with, but inspire St. Louis’ top companies and organizations in working towards a more environmentally conscious and responsible tomorrow.” 

Within its own offices, the company made several improvements to promote sustainability, including upgrades to its entire 17,500-square-foot warehouse that converted all fluorescent bulbs to LED lighting fixtures. This not only yielded high energy savings – approximately 60 watts per unit – but other environmental benefits also as LED lights contain no toxic materials, are completely recyclable and emit up to 80% less harmful greenhouse gases. Additionally, Office Essentials continued on a more sustainable path by replacing plastic cups and utensils with eco-friendly paper goods in the employee breakroom, printing double-sided in black ink only, recycling paper, plastics, and cardboard internally, as well as providing routing software to delivery drivers to shorten travel time and overall stops. To further reduce vehicle emissions from commuter travel, Office Essentials employees were given the option to choose a hybrid work schedule to support their needs and cut down their carbon footprint. 

During the 2023 Challenge kickoff, Office Essentials showcased its entire lineup of sustainable product offerings, in addition to presenting them at Washington University’s Diversity and Sustainability event. Among those products highlighted were cleaning and breakroom products produced by Highmark – a sustainable and diverse manufacturer – that included bowls made from sugar cane and plant-based plastic cups. Office Essentials also implemented website icons promoting diverse manufacturers and sustainable products to help customers make more environmentally and socially conscious purchases. 

Moreover, Office Essentials continued to incentivize customers to recycle toner cartridges by collecting them for free. This effort resulted in over 10,000 cartridges being collected and shipped back to manufacturers to be reused in producing new cartridges and drums each year. Packing deliveries for the Saint Louis Zoo in reusable totes instead of standard cardboard boxes also helped to reduce plastic pollution that oftentimes winds up in landfills and pollutes the air. 

For more information about Office Essentials’ continued efforts around sustainability and how your company can get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, subscribe to the Challenge’s bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair. 

People from all walks of life – including cancer survivors, friends, family, first responders, firefighters and more – are gearing up for the premier stair-climb event in the region this weekend. The American Lung Association’s Fight for Air Climb – St. Louis is returning to Metropolitan Square on Saturday at 8 a.m., featuring one-of-a-kind views and the best set of stairs this side of the Mississippi. From beginners to competitive climbers, all are encouraged to scale the building’s 42 floors by racing up its 900+ steps or taking it at your own speed to support those with lung disease who are fighting for every breath.

The goal of the event is to raise awareness and funds to support the American Lung Association’s efforts through research, education and advocacy. Registration fees and fundraising dollars will go toward helping the nonprofit organization save lives by working to defeat lung cancer and improving the quality of the air we all breathe. Today, that fight is more important than ever, and 90 cents of every dollar raised will go directly to the cause. Participants can register online through Friday or in-person on the morning of the event to climb as a team, an individual, or join as a volunteer.

When climbers get to the top, they can experience what it feels like to suffer from lung disease and empathize with individuals who unfortunately have to suffer through it every day. According to the American Lung Association’s most recent “State of Lung Cancer” report, close to 238,000 people will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, with the rate of new cases varying by state. Missouri ranks 43^rd among all U.S. states for new lung cancer case rates at 68.4 (per 100,000 population), which is significantly higher than the national rate of 54.6. While there are a variety of risk factors associated with lung cancer, overwhelming evidence shows that long-term exposure to particle pollution in the outdoor air we breathe – like that coming from vehicle exhaust, coal-fired power plants and other industrial sources – is a leading cause. This reinforces the need for everyone to step up for clean air across the country and in our communities, and taking part in an event like this one is a great place to start!

For more information on the Fight for Air Climb – St. Louis and how to get involved today, click here. For more information about the health effects of exposure to polluted air and tips to reduce emissions to help protect lung health, visit the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow @gatewaycleanair on Twitter.

The St. Louis regional commuter rideshare program – RideFinders – has been connecting commuters with reliable, affordable, sustainable and fun transportation to and from work since 1994. Operated by Madison County Transit, the program is driven to improve air quality in our nine-county, bi-state region by reducing traffic congestion through its carpooling and vanpooling services. This month, the Clean Air Partnership is pleased to shine a spotlight on RideFinders and acknowledge the shared desire of its riders, drivers, clients and staff to make a big difference for our planet and community.

RideFinders provides free, online ride-matching services for commuters interested in sharing the ride in their personal vehicles or by joining or forming a vanpool using RideFinders’ vans. These carpools and vanpools are paving the way to a sustainable future by taking more than 3,100 vehicles off the road, cutting 25 million driving miles and eliminating 1,710,865 pounds of air pollution each year. RideFinders’ air quality-friendly efforts earned them the title of St. Louis Green Business Challenge Leader last year for completing work with a categorized, point-based scorecard enumerating a range of fundamental sustainability measures for business operations.

“RideFinders is a longtime sponsor of the St. Louis Green Business Challenge,” said Kym Brown, Outreach Manager for RideFinders. “Our small team connects commuters to help reduce single-occupancy vehicles on our roadways. This year, our agency Madison County Transit supported us to jump on board as participants—a positive experience! Working with the Challenge staff, our Green Team learned that with a few minor practice modifications, we could significantly improve our environmental impact.”

Over the course of the 2023 Challenge, RideFinders developed its own Green Team made up of staff from several departments and participated in events like the St. Louis Earth Day Festival, where they advertised their vanpool program and handed out more than 500 vegetable plants to festival goers. Green Team members also volunteered for the St. Louis Cardinals “4 A Greener Game” to collect plastic and aluminum cans for recycling. Taking green one step further in-house, RideFinders upgraded to LED lighting in its facilities and parking lots, as well as redesigned and installed signage at all recycling bins to divert waste away from landfills and incinerators, helping to reduce the harmful effects of air pollution.

Another noteworthy initiative that helped RideFinders earn recognition in the Challenge was the continued support of regional employers through its “Do The Ride Thing” campaign. This operation helps resolve region-wide transportation challenges by getting employees to work on time and ready to go, in addition to informing them about the importance of improving air quality by carpooling or vanpooling.

For more information on RideFinders and how your company can get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, subscribe to their bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.

Advertisers Printing, a St. Louis Printing Company, offers quality custom print and direct mail solutions with a focus on sustainability. As a proud participant in the 2023 St. Louis Green Business Challenge and one of only 50 U.S. printing companies to have earned SGP (Sustainability Green Partner) Certification – the industry standard for sustainability performance – the Clean Air Partnership is thrilled to highlight the company’s commitment to eco-friendly printing solutions across all its services and processes that is having a huge impact on regional air quality.

“The Green Business Challenge gives us a forum to talk about the 20-year environmental journey at The Advertisers Printing Company,” said John Heaney, SVP, Sustainability Director at Advertisers Printing Company. “More importantly, the Challenge supports our region’s businesses to gather and bond around common environmental goals of making life better for all members of our community. Committing to a cleaner and greener region is ultimately a shared value as well as a goal.”

Over the course of the 2023 Challenge, Advertisers Printing Company developed and reported on their Champion Innovation Project of Addition by Subtraction: Replacing and Updating Legacy Hardware. The purchase of a Javelin 86000NII plate-setter, which is used for burning metal plates essential to the printing process, reduced energy use by 60% and sped up throughput time to burn a plate by 30%. Similarly, retiring the company’s 30+ year-old full-size, two-color offset press also resulted in a substantial boost in energy savings and efficiency.

To further reduce environmental impact, Advertisers Printing installed a new water bottle filling station for employees’ reusable bottles. So far, it has eliminated the use of over 3,600 single-use bottles since installation. Additionally, the company purchased a plug-in hybrid Ford Fusion that runs the first 22 miles on battery power and averages 39-49 mpg. It joins their existing fleet of five hybrids and one electric vehicle used for sales and delivery to help reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gases emitted. Moreover, Advertisers Printing worked to educate all their stakeholders by producing a sustainability video series that highlighted potentials from decreasing their print production footprint.

These improvements not only made a positive difference for the environment, but also enhanced operational capabilities and employee satisfaction. More efficient equipment has led to lower production times and higher volumes produced using the same number of workers. As a result, employee overtime has been reduced, creating a happier and more satisfied workforce with decreased absenteeism. Last but not least, innovation curated a feeling of achievement and confidence among team members that the company is taking responsible action in terms of the environment.

For more information about Advertisers Printing’s continued efforts around sustainability and how your company can get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, subscribe to their bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. To learn more about the link between sustainability and air quality, explore our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @gatewaycleanair.