Heat Prompts 'Spare The Air' Advisory - Motorists Urged To Take Public Transportation

nbc3 ^

[chance33_98]

Heat Prompts 'Spare The Air' Advisory
Motorists Urged To Take Public Transportation

POSTED: 5:06 p.m. PDT July 8, 2002 UPDATED: 6:07 p.m. PDT July 8, 2002

Extremely hot weather is forecast for the Bay Area over the next few days.

Some inland areas are expected to record triple-digit temperatures and air quality is forecast to be unhealthy in the Santa Clara Valley and some eastern districts.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has declared Tuesday a "Spare The Air" day. A Spare The Air Day is called when the concentration of ground-level ozone, the main ingredient in smog, is at levels above health-based air quality standards.

The unhealthy air can create problems for children, the elderly and people with respiratory and heart conditions, district spokeswoman Luna Salaver said.

As a precaution, officials advise those who are vulnerable to limit outdoor activities to early morning hours and around sunset, when ozone levels are decreased.

Salaver said ground-level ozone is formed when volatile organic compounds combine with oxides of nitrogen. The smog-forming gases that result are emitted from tailpipes, evaporated gasoline, paints and household products, she said.

To help combat the problem, Bay Area residents are asked to leave their cars at home and put off filling their gas tanks until after 6 p.m. Putting off painting projects and yardwork requiring a gas-powered lawn mower is also suggested.

[chance33_98]

To help combat the problem, Bay Area residents are asked to leave their cars at home and put off filling their gas tanks until after 6 p.m. Putting off painting projects and yardwork requiring a gas-powered lawn mower is also suggested.

Just give everyone the day off with pay :)

[randita]

Sac. Bee reporting a possibility of 115 degrees in the Sac. area. Might be interesting to watch the CAISO website to see how well power supply is meeting need.

[Atlas Sneezed]

The perfect day to leave your comfortable, air-conditioned car at home, and instead wait in the melting heat for a sweaty bus filled with savages, so that you can then trudge uphill 15 minutes to get home.

[brewcrew]

In S.E. Wisconsin, we get "Ozone Action Days" issued by the local government. Not only are we forced to buy their reformulated gas, but we are forced to be insulted by the constant barrage of "carpool; fill you gas tanks early in the morning or late in the evening; wait to cut your grass; etc." Every time I see one of these ozone action messages on their multi-million dollar sign system over the freeway, I punch the 'overdrive off' button for a few seconds.