Air, made up primarily of nitrogen and oxygen, envelops the earth and makes life possible. Urban and rural areas can have significant effects on the quality of the air masses that flow across them. We all live downwind of someplace, and we all live upwind of someplace else. We breathe the clean air and the pollution introduced into an air mass upwind of us, and those living downwind of us breathe air into which we may have introduced pollutants. Pollution doesn't always stay in the air. The quality of the air blowing across a river basin also influences its forests, agricultural crops, and surface waters.
Photo courtesy of Régnier Sylvie

Check This Out!

Division of Air Quality Monitoring Data
http://daq.state.nc.us/ambient/monitors/
Select a region from the map found at the link listed above to get current data in that region (pollutant concentrations or meterological measurements available at Air Quality sites).

NC OneMap
http://www.nconemap.com/
Just click on the NC OneMap logo to launch the program. Once launched, on the left side under the "Query" subheading, click on the mailbox icon. This allows you to type in your address. Enter your address and click the "Find Address" button. A box will come up with X and Y coordinates. Click where it says "GoTo" to zoom in to your address on the map. On the right side of the page are all of the layers you can turn on and off. NC OneMap can show you everything from river basins to elevation, landcover to weather. It's a FANTASTIC resource, and a great place to start learning about your ecological address!

For More Resources

DENR - Division of Air Quality
The Division of Air Quality (DAQ) works with the state's citizens to protect and improve outdoor, or ambient, air quality in North Carolina for the health and benefit of all. To carry out this mission, the DAQ has programs for monitoring air quality, permitting and inspecting air emissions sources, developing plans for improving air quality, and educating and informing the public about air quality issues.

AIRNow
The U.S. EPA, NOAA, NPS, tribal, state, and local agencies developed the AIRNow Web site to provide the public with easy access to national air quality information. The Web site offers daily AQI forecasts as well as real-time AQI conditions for over 300 cities across the US, and provides links to more detailed State and local air quality Web sites.