How to reduce pollution in Dallas-Fort Worth

• Simply switching from gas-powered to electric lawn equipment is equivalent to removing hundreds of cars from the road, according to Environment Texas.

The big picture: The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), a group of more than 200 local governmental entities, has developed a plan to try to get the region into compliance with federal air quality standards.

• The region is currently classified as a severe nonattainment zone by the EPA.

State of commute: The NCTCOG is working with cities to improve signal timing that would keep cars from idling long at red lights.

• The organization also has an app and website, tryparkingit.com, that gives commuters public transit and carpooling options.

Threat level: Medium levels of ozone can cause detrimental health effects for the nearly 1 million North Texas residents who have asthma or chronic lung disease.

• Higher levels of ozone can be unhealthy for even the healthiest groups.

How you can help: If it's an ozone action day, limit driving or make trips later in the day when fewer cars are on the road. Turn off your engine to avoid idling.

• Learn about air quality through AirNorthTexas.org.

Worthy of your time: Read about how Dallas-Fort Worth runs afoul of federal clean air standards.