Spare the Air Day In Place For Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Wednesday, Sept. 7, is the fourth Spare the Air day of the year, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

That means folks should drive as little as possible, take public transit if you can, try to coordinate any trips you take in your car and carpool where possible.  

“Air quality in the Bay Area is forecast to be unhealthy tomorrow,” according to a BAAQMD release. “The Air District encourages residents to drive less and reduce their energy use every day so pollution levels are lower, preventing health alerts when temperatures are high.”

“Air quality is expected to be unhealthy again in the Bay Area,” said Air District Executive Officer Jack Broadbent. “Hot temperatures and tailpipe exhaust contribute to unhealthy smog so it is important that we all reduce our driving every day and take precautions to protect our health.” 

A long list of daily pollutants contribute to poor air quality, including motor vehicle exhaust, gasoline vapors, industrial emissions and household chemicals. These contain chemicals that combine with oxygen, heat and sunlight to form ground-level ozone. This can lead to throat irritation, congestion and chest pain. It can trigger asthma, inflame the lining of the lungs and worsen bronchitis and emphysema. 

Long-term exposure to ozone can reduce lung function. High levels of ozone pollution are particularly harmful for young children, seniors and those with respiratory and heart conditions. Vigorous outdoor exercise should be undertaken only in the early morning hours when ozone concentrations are lower. The Air District issues Spare the Air Alerts whenever air quality is forecast to reach unhealthy concentrations.

So what can you do to help prevent ground level ozone?

• Bike to work or around town
• Take public transit
• Work at home or telecommute
• Carpool and link your errands to reduce driving
• Avoid using gas-powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers
• Reduce household energy use
• Don’t use lighter fluid on the barbecue
• Avoid using aerosol spray cleaners, paints and hairspray

For more information about Spare the Air, visit www.sparetheair.org.