Clean Air NY Has Plenty to be Thankful for This Thanksgiving

image by Helga's Lobster Stew used under Creative Commons license

Thanksgiving is a time for New Yorkers and Americans everywhere to leave our busy schedules to be with family and friends and to reflect on all we have to be grateful for in our lives. Here at Clean Air NY, we have plenty to be thankful for, both this year and years past. Most of all, we’re thankful for the tremendous support we get from the New Yorkers in our network. While we work hard to spread the message about improving air quality in the New York metro area, you are the ones going out and taking action. Our sincerest gratitude goes out to all of you for your effort and persistence in reducing air pollution here in New York!

Here are some other things for which Clean Air NY is thankful:

22,000 Facebook fans. This year we’ve added nearly 7,000 new “Likes” on our Facebook page, to exceed 22,000 in total. The outpouring of support for Clean Air NY on Facebook keeps growing and we couldn’t be happier. If you haven’t done so already, “Like” our page on Facebook now!

More than 8 million vehicle miles reduced each week. In 2009, a Clean Air NY survey tracked the impact of our outreach campaign. We found that, in 2009, Clean Air NY helped to reduce vehicle miles traveled in the New York metro area by approximately 8,414,523 each week! Our network of individual partners and allies (employers, colleges, community partners and Champions) has grown considerably in the past two years as well, so that number could be even larger now!

Fewer high air pollution days. The American Lung Association’s 2010 State of the Air report indicated that the New York metro area averages 26.5 fewer days with unhealthy levels of air pollution when compared to levels from the mid-1990s. The peak period for Air Quality Action Days has passed for this year; we have had just 13 so far. In 2010, there were 14 such days. It appears we’re moving in the right direction to reduce the number of days that air pollution reaches unhealthy levels.

Happy Thanksgiving from Clean Air NY!