By MICHAEL BOYLAN
Staff Writer

You are driving to work on I-85. Ahead is one of those message boards that light up and tell you of traffic delays. Today it reads: “Tomorrow will be a smog alert day.”

You think about this message and, like many other commuters, think nothing of it and stick with your routine. You think, “Why do I have to do something about Smog? Will the actions of one man or woman really make a difference? and “What is Smog anyway? Los Angeles has had it for years and they are doing OK.”

Smog is the brown-orange gas that you can sometimes see hanging over the skyline. The main component of smog is ozone, the very same thing that protects our skin from harmful solar radiation, and when it forms at ground level it can be dangerous to our health. The ozone forms at ground level and then mixes in with the pollutants from our cars, planes and other gas powered implements that are used quite frequently by a large number of people.

The pollutants are trapped in this low hanging smog and it makes it very hot and very hard to breathe.

Typically, smog alert days occur when it is hot and sunny, which pretty much describes every day of the summer in Georgia. Factor in the rapid growth of the state with the worsening traffic situation and smog alert days start to happen more and more frequently. Smog season takes place from May 1 to Sept. 30.

Labeling a certain day a smog alert day is the responsibility of scientists that work for the Environmental Protection Division. When they think that tomorrow's weather conditions will be right for possible ground ozone formation, they alert the news media, Partnership for a Smog Free Georgia members, and the people who put the messages on those gigantic boards on the highway.

They alert as many people as possible because there are certain things that can be done to alleviate the situation. First off is changing your commuting pattern. By carpooling, using mass transit, traveling before or after the big rush or tele-commuting, your wasted time sitting in gridlock is reduced as well as your stress levels.

The same effect can be reached by combining your errands on smog alert days. By running your errands all at once or by doing them on your way home from work, there is no need to keep getting into your car and releasing more exhaust into the congested air.

Sixty-five percent of the miles that Atlantans drive aren't commuting miles; they are driven for leisure purposes or running errands. By sharing rides or by using public transit, there is less wear and tear on your car, traffic and parking hassles are a thing of the past, and money can be saved.

There are also things that can be done around the house to make things easier, such as not using gas-powered equipment like the lawnmower or leaf blowers during the cooler evening hours. This way you are maintaing your lawn in the excruciating heat and you don't breathe the harmful air.

If you would like to know more about the Partnership for a Smog Free Georgia, call 404-363-7032 or visit their web site at www.ga-psg.org. If you are interested in trying to improve Georgia's air quality, call the Clean Air Campaign at 404-364-2624.

Eventually, smog season will be over, but it will start up again, sooner than you think.

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