Here's another reason to call in sick and walk or bike to the beach tomorrow—not only will it be gloriously hot , but those high temps and low winds will create unhealthy smog levels that will only be worsened by exhaust from motorized vehicles.
Tuesday will be the second consecutive summer Spare the Air alert issued by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. On Spare the Air days, the Bay Area is urged to cut back on any activities that cause pollution, including "driving, using oil-based paints, gasoline-powered lawn mowers, or household aerosol products like hair sprays." That's right, you're going to have to find another way to fix your tresses. Do it for mother earth!
According to Bay Area Air District spokesman Jack Broadbent, ozone levels like the ones we're expecting over the next few days can cause numerous health problems including "throat irritation, congestion, chest pain, asthma and worsened bronchitis and emphysema."
Beauty products aside, Broadbent says that 37 percent of Bay Area employees commute alone to work every day, which is not great in the air sparing department.
"Vehicle traffic accounts for most of the ozone-forming pollution in the Bay Area," Broadbent says. "Choosing commute alternatives such as carpooling or taking transit can make a big difference when it comes to protecting air quality and our health," he said.
Or, like we mentioned, calling in sick, for, as noted earlier today, "This is one of those rare times of year when everyone's going to be lustily out in the streets, wearing shorts and the skimpiest of summer dresses, looking for trouble and a tall drink to sip on."