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With air quality becoming more and more of an issue in the Western North Carolina mountains, the Cradle of Forestry and its Public Forum on Air Quality this weekend is likely to be a "standing room only" event. Several exhibits will be on display during the Saturday event, perhaps none more crowd-pleasing than the Toyota Prius that will be on display the entire afternoon.The public forum will be held at the Cradle of Forestry on Saturday, August 17, from 1-4:30 PM. Presenters will include leading agency and organization specialists offering an overview of air quality management and issues in Western North Carolina. Ground-level ozone, visibility, and particulate matter are three areas of concern for people in the region and around the country. Specialists from the USDA Forest Service and the US Environmental Protection Agency will speak on the science of air quality issues. The NC Division of Air Quality will address legislation and regulations, as well as what residents can do to address the problems through the Ozone Forecasting and Ozone Action Days programs. The Mountain Air Quality Coalition, a part of Western Carolina Tomorrow and Western Carolina University, will have a representative discussing the new NC Clean Smokestacks Act and the next steps in legislation and public action.
There will be exhibits on air quality and an opportunity to see symptoms of ozone on vegetation. For attendees who are looking for a specific, daily contribution they can make to the improvement of local air quality, they need to look no further than the Toyota Prius that will be on display at the forum. The Prius, a 4-cylinder, 4-door, hybrid vehicle, is powered by an electric motor plus a regular gasoline engine; the gas engine kicks in for use only when needed for additional power, such as when merging into Interstate highway traffic. Toyota has designed this groundbreaking vehicle as a family car, with all models having 4 doors, 5 seatbelts, and automatic transmission only. Further, the car is designed for city driving, where most driving occurs and, therefore, most nitrogen oxide emissions occur; nitrogen oxide is the main contributor to ground-level ozone. This vehicle has almost no emissions, particularly when driven in the city, and gets 52+ mpg in the city, 45+ mpg on the open road.
The public forum, along with a recent educator workshop on ozone and a Kids Air Awareness Day on August 24, are all part of Air Awareness Month at the Cradle of Forestry. Admission to the Cradle of Forestry in America is $5 for adults, $2.50 for children 4-17 years old. For more information and directions to the Cradle of Forestry (in Pisgah Forest, near Brevard), please call 828-877-3130 or visit their web site, www.cradleofforestry.com.
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As part of the public forum, there will also be an opportunity for discussion with the panel of specialists.
While any Toyota dealership is able to provide its customers with a Prius, Jim Barkley Toyota in Asheville (www.jimbarkleytoyota.com) currently has two Prius vehicles on their lot. The model on display in the showroom is $20,632, while the one on the lot is $21,600 (includes CD and cruise control). Until very recently, this model was available only through special order, but Toyota is now offering the Prius to dealers for their car lots. Almost 100 Prius models have been sold through Jim Barkley Toyota since its introduction in 2001, primarily to local customers, so the vehicle is selling well and its popularity is growing. Both vehicles are available for test drives and purchase.