The catch-22 of Air Quality Alerts
The Wisconsin DNR has issued an Air Quality Watch for Milwaukee County, and all of the Lake Michigan shoreland counties, for today. This is what they say:
The watch is being issued because of the forecast for elevated levels of ground level ozone. Ground level ozone is formed when pollution from power plants, factories and other industrial sources, vehicle exhaust, and volatile organic compounds chemically reacts with hot temperatures, high humidity and atmospheric stagnation.
As always, we’re recommended to stay indoors and/or cut back on strenuous outdoor activity. That’s all fine and good, since today I was planning on spending a majority of my time cleaning, packing and the like — even though it is a beautiful day outside.
But here’s the problem: these things are issued as a result of pollution, originating from “power plants.” So my question is, is it better to stay indoors with your windows open, further exposing yourself to the hazardous levels of ozone, or to turn your air conditioning on, thus contributing to the problem by increasing the load on the power grid?
If I keep my windows open, and I’m indoors today doing moderate activity (cleaning, lifting, laundry, etc), I’m still breathing in the polluted air from the outdoors. (Additionally, at some point my body would much prefer the cooler air the a/c brings!)
But I feel somewhat responsible turning my air on. The increased loads in the summertime are brutal on the energy grid to begin with, so adding more isn’t necessarily working in the right direction.
I feel like I need solar panels on top of my apartment building…