Also, our state's commute trip reduction law encourages people to use alternatives to get to work so their cars don't add to pollution. Our clean air success is the fruit of the Legislature's work in 1991 to update the state clean air act. We should not assume that we no longer need to pay attention to air quality. Our passionate love for driving alone, combined with our increasing population, could reverse our success. Emission rates may be at new lows, but our population and traffic growth can overwhelm these technical advances.
Carbon monoxide is a clear, odorless gas, produced by combustion.
It affects the body's ability to obtain oxygen from the air. It especially affects infants, small children, pregnant women, the elderly and those with chronic heart disease. Carbon monoxide levels are highest when calm, cold weather traps pollution near the ground in the fall and winter. During that time southern Clark County's carbon monoxide emissions amount to approximately 324 tons per day.