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Hey Kids, it's Kaila!
Do you know that all of us contribute to our air pollution problem? So it's up to us to do what we can to help prevent bad air. Making clean air choices makes life better for your friends, family, animals, plants and the environment.
By learning all that you can about air pollution you can be your family's Spare the Air expert - whatever you learn on our site, share it with your parents and friends! Remember, each of us can make a difference.
We already know you care about clean air because you're visiting our web site. That makes you special . . . and we thank you.
What Causes Bad Air?
Sometimes the air is so dirty you can see it! Smog, or ground level ozone, is that brownish haze you see overhead on warm, sunny days -especially when there's no wind. It's formed when gases and chemicals react in the presence of sun and heat, like this:
Sometimes the air gets so polluted, that the air gets unhealthy to breathe. That's when the Air District tells people that it's a Spare the Air Day. When you hear about a Spare the Air Day on the radio or TV, that means we're all in for a bad air day.
The more pollution that's in the air, the more it can harm children! Why? Because kids breathe more times per minute than adults do. So the more pollution that's in the air, the more kids breathe into their bodies.
If there is a lot of ground-level ozone in the air it can make you feel lousy. Ground-level ozone can make your eyes itchy, your nose and throat feel sore, and your breathing heavy, especially if you're playing really hard outside. If you or someone you know has asthma, bronchitis or allergies, smog can make it worse.
Smog also damages plants and that's bad because air pollution can ruin crops and affect the availability of the fruits and vegetables we need to eat!
We Can All Help Prevent Pollution
Here are some clean air choices you and your families can make for healthier air:
1. Walk or ride your bike to school
Do you or your folks really need the car to get where you need to go? Walk, ride your bike, skate or take your scooter instead! It's great exercise for you and your parents. Cars, trucks and buses create most of the air pollution in your city or town. The more vehicles we can keep off the roads, the better our air will be!
2. Encourage your family to drive clean
Help organize a carpool to get to and from school, sports and other activities and events. A carpool is when three or more people ride in a car. Kaila, Nikki and Chris carpool together when ever they need to travel far.
Let your folks know that they need to to get the car tuned regularly. A well-tuned car runs better and pollutes less. It also costs less to run. Do your folks leave the car on and idle while waiting to pick you up? If they turn off the engine it saves the environment and money! Tell them that one minute of idling uses up more gas than restarting the engine.
3. Turn off the lights
Generating electricity contributes to air pollution, so remember to turn off the lights, the television or radio when you leave a room. If your folks have an air conditioner, let them know to turn it down especially if your whole family is going to be out all day.
4. Use air-friendly products
 Hair and bug spray, household cleaners, air fresheners and even nail polish contain chemicals that pollute. Tell your folks that roll-on deodorants, creams, gels, liquids, sticks and other non-aerosol products are better for the environment.
5. Grow and Care for Plants
 When we plant a flower or tree, we help make clean air. Especially plants that grow naturally in California - these are called "native" plants - since they don't need much water to grow. Some great plants that are easy to grow are Morning Glories, Rosemary, Lemon Balm, parsley, lavender, Snapdragons and Asters.
6. Join the Clean Air Crew
There are over 900 Bay Area kids in the Clean Air Crew! If you're not a member already, you can join the Crew too. As a member of the Crew, you will receive our comic books, keeping you up to date with what Kaila, Chris and Nikki are up to. You'll also receive an official Clean Air Crew Membership Card and a special bookmark with tips on how you can help Spare the Air. And if you have a computer at home, every month you'll get Kaila's Newsletter sent to your e-mail address, or we'll mail it to you. You can join right here online. Tell your friends, and if they don't have a computer they can call 1-800-HELP-AIR.
7. Tell your folks to sign up for Spare the Air notification
When the air gets really bad to breathe, our friends at the Air District will warn you in advance when the air is unhealthy so you and your family can make clean air choices. It's easy to sign up, and it's free.
What should your family do on a Spare the Air day?
Special things to remember on Spare the Air days-the days when the air is really polluted:1. Try not to play a lot outside - in the afternoon
Staying indoors may be hard to do on a nice summer's day, but air pollution can get really bad in the late afternoon or early evening. This is the worst time to participate in sports and strenuous exercise. When you hear that it's a Spare the Air day, in the afternoon after 2 p.m., it's best that you plan indoor activities like reading, drawing, playing indoor games or watching a movie.
2. Mow the lawn another day
 Did you know that the small gasoline engines in lawn mowers and leaf blowers pollute the air as much as some cars? Let your folks know that on Spare the Air days they shouldn't use the gasoline mower. Explain that doing it on a bad air day will only make the existing smog worse.
3. A Cleaner Way to BBQ
 Everyone loves to barbecue in the summer, but there's a way to barbecue that's better for the air. Ask your parents to buy a charcoal chimney starter. Available at hardware or any store that sells barbecue stuff, chimney starters are very inexpensive and best of all, don't need lighter fluid. Burning any fuel adds to air pollution.
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