Governor Perdue signed a proclamation Wednesday with The Clean Air Campaign to declare the first ever Georgia Telework Week, which will take place August 23 to 27. This week is meant to encourage employers and commuters to demonstrate support for telework, because the best commute is the one we don’t have to make. As telework becomes available to more employees across the state, there will be less traffic and cleaner air for us all to enjoy.

From left to right: Cathy Salvadore, UPS; Gerry Leonard, ADP; Dorothy Gordon, State of Georgia; Mike Williams, The Clean Air Campaign; Governor Sonny Perdue; Paulette Norvel Lewis, U.S. Department of Labor Region IV; Tjuan Dogan, IBM; Tony Vazquez, Bank of America; Kevin Green, The Clean Air Campaign

Stay tuned to The Clean Air Campaign’s website for more information about Georgia Telework Week. Details will be coming soon about how employers and commuters can get involved.

Hold your breath, Georgia. We are officially at the midpoint of smog season, and here is where things stand with respect to the air we breathe:

1. To date, there have been about 15 instances across Georgia -- in some cases, multiple areas on the same day -- when concentrations of ground-level ozone reached unhealthy levels. Here is a trend comparison to show past years' violations (for all areas monitored in Georgia) from May 1 through July 15:

As you can see, the trend is generally moving in the direction we want.

2. On July 7, metro Atlanta witnessed its first Code Red smog day since 2008, a signal that there is still much work to be done. A heat wave, combined with stagnant air and too many tailpipes out on the roads, proved too much for the region to bear.

3. While it is impossible to predict what's in store for the second half of smog season, what we do know is that the standards by which our air quality is measured - standards created by the US Environmental Protection Agency to protect public health - are slated to become more strict at the end of August. Why? Because the more we learn about the effects of long-term exposure to air pollution, the greater the sense of urgency becomes to protect ourselves.

The Clean Air Campaign is following the developments surrounding new air quality standards and we'll have more details very soon on what's changing, what impact the changes will have across Georgia and what you can do. In the meantime, stay cool and let's hope for a quiet second half to smog season.

Many thanks to Local Planet for supporting The Clean Air Campaign as we work toward less traffic and cleaner air. Local Planet made a charitable contribution today that will go toward extending the reach of The Clean Air Campaign's programs and services to more Georgia employers, commuters and schools.

The Clean Air Campaign's Brian Carr (L) receives a contribution from Patrick Vrana of Local Planet (R).

Did you know contributions from the private sector or individuals to The Clean Air Campaign are eligible to receive 4:1 matching, so every $1 we receive becomes $5? That's a pretty good return on investment.