ATLANTA (CBS ATLANTA) -
A Code Orange smog alert has been issued for Metro Atlanta.
This is the first smog alert that has been issued in the area this year; air quality was considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
The Air Quality Index for a Code Orange smog alert is between 101 and 150.
People with heart or lung disease (including asthma), older adults and children should cut back or reschedule strenuous activities.
The Clean Air Campaign is asking people to look at alternatives to driving alone during the warmer months when air pollution is more likely to form.
The campaign offers these tips to improve air quality:
- Share the ride by carpooling or van pooling – you keep pollutants out of the air and reduce traffic. You also cut your commute costs at least in half, and by using the uncongested HOV lane, you save time. Plus on days you're not driving, you arrive to work less stressed. Van poolers can keep 10 cars off the road everyday. If you're looking to join a van pool or carpool, ARC's RideSmart database has more than 50,000 commuters looking to share the ride too. It will match you with others who work and live near you.
- Transit: Using transit for part or all of your commute means you're reducing air pollution and traffic. It can also save you money.
- Telework: Avoid traffic altogether by working from home. Teleworkers are proven to be 10-20 percent more productive than their in-office counterparts.
- Bike or walk: Nearly 25 percent of our trips are less than one mile, and if you're not far from work, it's a healthy option. More than 20,000 metro Atlantans ride their bicycle or walk to work each day.
- Rearranging your work schedule: Instead of changing how you get to work, you might try adjusting when you get there. By driving at off-peak times, you avoid sitting in traffic and pollute a lot less. And by working a compressed work week, you can avoid commuting one day a week.
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