It goes without saying that The Clean Air Campaign’s staff works hard to serve Georgia employers, commuters and schools. Like any job, the satisfaction you get out of it is directly related to the effort you put into it. And in many ways for our team, the motivation for less traffic and cleaner air comes from the fun activities that are made more enjoyable when we can have clearer skies under which to play.

Mark Poole, a Commuter Services Coordinator with just over two years of service at The Clean Air Campaign, gets to enjoy the respiratory fruits of his labor out on the fields almost every weekend with his Ultimate Frisbee team, Chain Lightning. This fall, Mark’s team won the national title at the 2009 Ultimate Players’ Association Championships. We caught up with Mark to learn more about his exploits on the field and why he’s motivated to work for less traffic and cleaner air.

Mark Poole proudly presents the national championship trophy his team, Chain Lightning, won at the 2009 Ultimate Players’ Association Championship tournament.

Q: How did you become interested in Ultimate Frisbee?

A: I got turned on to it in college after hearing about it from one of my professors, who played on a travel team. I’ve been playing for about five years and never imagined I’d get a chance to compete at a championship level. I just love playing the game and where it has taken me.

Q: How do you play Ultimate Frisbee?

A: We play seven on seven on a field with two end zones. The object is to score by passing the disc into the end zone and there are offensive and defensive teams, which switch back and forth based on possession. The game is non-contact and it’s self-officiated. Depending on the game setup and tournament rules, the first team to score 15 points wins.

Q: What’s the pace of the game and the overall vibe?

A: I play in a competitive men’s league, but there are also recreational leagues and co-ed leagues all over the world. We always strive to have a friendly competition. The fact that games are self-officiated means we are committed to good sportsmanship. It’s not uncommon to share a beer with our competition after a game.

Q: As an outdoor sport, what do you enjoy about Ultimate Frisbee?

A: Being active and playing outside is very important to me. The season runs from May to November. Coincidentally, that’s almost in line with Smog Season in Georgia. So of course I want to have clean air to breathe in. It’s a great experience to be able to run around under blue skies and soak in the sunshine. But it can also be fulfilling to play in other weather conditions because it adds variety.

Q: How much work goes into competing on an Ultimate Frisbee squad?

A: I run and train at the track every week. My team practices almost every weekend for a few hours on Saturday and Sunday. We put a lot of work into our game. We’ve got 26 guys on our team. Some are serious. Some are laid back. We always have fun, but we know how to get focused and win.

Q: Besides air, what goes into the physics of throwing a Frisbee?

A: Spin keeps a Frisbee aloft. The more spin, the farther, flatter and faster the disc will travel. It takes a good snap of the wrist to get spin. And there are different angles you need to choose when you’re passing to teammates across the field.

Q: Where has Chain Lightning competed?

A: It’s amazing where we’ve traveled to play against other teams in tournaments around the country. We’ve been to Seattle, Santa Cruz, Washington D.C., Baton Rouge, Austin, Florida and all over the Southeast.

Q: And most recently you were in Sarasota, FL competing at the nationals. What was that like?

A: We represented the Southeast region at the national championships, which is a four-day tournament. We went in as the #2 seed and faced off against the #1 seed from San Francisco in the finals. The weather was uncharacteristically hot for Florida in late-October and we were thoroughly tired from all the games leading up to the finals. But we were playing great defense the whole tournament and knew we could stand up to them with aggressive defensive play. Playing in a championship game was such an adrenaline rush. We were amped up to have made it so far. Chain Lightning is the first champion in history to come out of the Southeast.

Q: Congrats on taking home the trophy. What’s the next big quest for Chain Lightning?

A: We’ll compete in July 2010 at the World Ultimate Club Championships in Prague, Czech Republic.

Q: Where can Georgians interested in learning about Ultimate Frisbee learn more?

A: Check out the Ultimate Players Association to learn more about the sport and visit Atlanta Flying Disc Club to get league info.

Congrats to Mark and his team for their big win. What do you do you like to do outdoors – now or in any season – that gets you motivated to protect the air we breathe?

It's early October, which means harvest time is on the way. And The Clean Air Campaign has transportation and air quality news by the bushel. So, slip on your work gloves and reap what we've sown in the latest edition of Merging Lanes.

Smog Season Wrap Up: Sigh of Relief

The 2009 Smog Season concluded last week and, amazingly, was one of the quietest for ground-level ozone in the past decade. To be sure, Georgia caught a big break. The final tally for unhealthy air days -- 18 across the state, with 16 of those days occurring in metro Atlanta -- was aided by more rainfall, cooler temperatures and slightly windier conditions. What really stands out is that the 2009 Smog Season never brought a Code Red day. The 18 smog days we experienced were all within the Code Orange range. Ground-level ozone is less likely to form outside the period between May and September. But stay on your toes, because particle pollution is a year-round problem in Georgia, creating more risks to respiratory health.

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Ground-Level Ozone Standards Revisited

The Environmental Protection Agency is charged with establishing and updating "national ambient air quality standards" to protect public health and welfare. In March of 2008, the EPA rolled out a new standard for ground-level ozone that was tougher than the previous standard. The rationale for tightening the standard was that scientific evidence suggested exposure to ground-level ozone at lower concentrations still posed a significant health hazard. While the business community reacted with concern that the revised standards were too strict, health and environmental advocates were concerned the revised standards didn't go far enough. Since that time, a new administration has entered the White House and news broke last week that the standard will be revisited again, with the possibility of a revised standard being introduced in mid-2010. This has big implications for areas like Columbus, Augusta, Athens and Macon. Specific counties in these regions were recommended earlier this year by Georgia EPD to be reclassified as non-attainment areas for ground-level ozone. The designation process for these areas was slated to conclude in March of 2010, but has now been moved to 2011. With the extra time afforded them, commuters, employers and schools in these areas can do more to put programs in place to improve air quality. But the fact that the clock is now ticking a little slower should not become an excuse for complacency. Through its partnership with the Georgia Department of Transportation, The Clean Air Campaign is ready to help more organizations in these locales. Call us.

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Good Works Garnering Accolades

Some of the best work to curb traffic and smog is happening right here in Georgia. In the past couple of months, The Clean Air Campaign and its partners have been recognized nationally by the Association for Commuter Transportation and within the state by Conserve Georgia for our efforts in the shared pursuit of clean air and less traffic. But we certainly couldn't have earned these accolades without help from the legions of commuters and employers like you who have taken action. A thunderous round of applause for YOU. You're part of the solution that is eliminating 1.6 million miles of vehicle travel and keeping 800 tons of pollution out of the air we breathe EACH DAY. But we know there's more work we can do together ... read on for another idea about how you can help even more.

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Clean Commuting: Always in Fashion

The Clean Air Campaign's mainstay $3 a day incentive that encourages current drive-alone commuters to make the switch had a huge year in 2008, bolstered by skyrocketing gas prices and an awakening among many commuters that using alternatives to driving alone makes sense. That was then. This is now. Falling prices at the pump ($2.30/gallon is now a steal when compared with the $4 we shelled out last year), combined with the aftershock of the recession and pressure being felt within the labor market are a few reasons that new participation in The Clean Air Campaign's incentives programs has slowed (though research findings show 74% of "graduates" from the $3 incentive program last year were still clean commuting 18-24 months after their incentive was exhausted). To spice things up a little, we are taking a cue from other businesses looking to drum up patronage. The Clean Air Campaign is awarding a fun t-shirt to the next 2,000 commuters to sign up for the $3 a day incentive program. Get the scoop here and tell all your friends and co-workers who drive alone about this limited-time offer. You can be more than a clean commuter. You can become an ambassador for clean commuting.

Merge.

Welcome to the dog days of summer 2009. The sun is hot and there are burning questions to address about transportation and air quality. So, grab some shade and pour yourself a tall glass of knowledge in this edition of Merging Lanes.

Is there less traffic on the roads?

The latest edition of the Urban Mobility Report, a comprehensive study of traffic congestion in major cities, says Atlanta is no longer the 2nd worst city in the nation for commuters. We are now the 3rd worst city for commuters. Only Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. commuters waste more time in traffic and burn up more fuel going nowehere than Atlanta commuters do. Yay, us.

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But didn't $4 gas and the recession cause bigger changes than that?

Unfortunately, this new data only gets us through 2007, when pump prices had just started their painful ascent and the first tremors of economic collapse were still faint. Certainly when the 2008 numbers become available, the effect of gas prices and the sour economy will be much more pronounced. But for now, we only get to pore over the 2007 numbers, which say the average metro Atlanta commuter wasted two fewer gallons of fuel than the prior year and two fewer hours stuck in gridlock. Raise your hand if you've truly felt the positive impact of these "savings" in your commute. Stay tuned for more recent traffic data that may become available in the near term.

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So, how should employers, commuters and policymakers interpret this new data?
With a grain of salt. Yes, the region saw improved traffic conditions in 2007 and will be able to say that traffic improved even further in 2008. But it's improper to say our traffic problems are fixed. Market conditions provided temporary relief ... and market conditions are largely beyond our control. Metro Atlanta is grappling with 9.5% unemployment, which is good for the still-employed who can negotiate through lighter traffic to get to their jobs, but bad for Georgia's economic vitality. Whipsawing fuel prices cause people to drive less, but only when costs rise dramatically. One of the best takeaways from the Urban Mobility Report is this statement on the first page about how to achieve long-term improvement:

"There are many congestion problems but there are also many solutions. The most effective strategy is one where agency actions are complemented by efforts of businesses,manufacturers, commuters and travelers."

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How is Georgia's air quality faring this Smog Season?

As of July 10, Metro Atlanta has experienced 8 Code Orange days so far this smog season, when ground-level ozone concentrations were deemed unhealthy for sensitive groups. Last year at this point, Atlanta had experienced 16 bad air days. Middle Georgia has registered two such days this year, compared with three by this point in 2008. North Georgia has also racked up a pair of Code Orange days this year, versus five by this time a year ago. As we approach the midpoint in the 2009 smog season, things are looking up: we're coming out of a drought, temperatures have not consistently boiled over ... and we hope more commuters are reducing their contribution to smog by finding better ways to get to and from work.

Merge

Next week is a great week to shake up the routine a little in your daily commute. The Clean Air Campaign, together with Clark Howard and the crew at 750 AM WSB and the region's local Transportation Management Associations, want you to pick a day next week to give your car the day off. Last year, some 1,300 metro Atlanta commuters pledged to do it (when gas prices rose above $4 last year, it's easy to see why). This year, let's raise the bar! You can sign up here to take part.

Need a little motivation to participate this go around? Here are five great reasons to give your car the day off:

1. Every mile you drive alone is costing you 54 cents. That adds up over time, especially in Atlanta, which is recognized as one of the most expensive areas for commuters nationwide. Did you know the average metro ATL household spends more than $8,000 a year on transportation costs? That's more than we spend on food.
2. You can get more done when you're not behind the wheel. With an average commute time in the region of 36 minutes each way, we're all looking for ways to be more productive. Why not hop on an Xpress bus or carpool and read a book or catch up on e-mail?
3. Half of all smog-forming emissions come from the tailpipes of cars and trucks. That's a major factor in the number of days we experience when air quality is deemed unhealthy for outdoor activity. Fewer tailpipes is good for the air we breathe. Try carpooling. If you need help finding a person to share the ride, The Clean Air Campaign can direct you to RideSmart, a division of the Atlanta Regional Commission that runs a service to match commuters who live and work near each other.
4. Not having to drive means less stress from the grind of traffic and the "unpredictable actions" of other commuters who are competing for space on the roads. You don't have to get worked up about the dummy who zooms past you and changes lanes without signaling when you're teleworking.
5. When you leave your car in the driveway and choose a different way to get to work, you're not using up as much energy. Try MARTA. They're also supporting an event next week -- on Thursday, June 18 -- called "Dump the Pump." We all remember how exasperating it was last year to shell out big bucks for gas. It's still painful to pay $2.50 a gallon. Try an alternative so you don't need to fill up the tank as often.

Giving your car the day off one day next week is just a starting point, of course. We want you to do it once in hopes that you'll consider doing it more often. There are more than 350,000 commuters across town who have come to enjoy alternatives to driving alone. We need more to accomplish our mission of less traffic and cleaner air.

This week has special significance for Georgians as we gird our lungs in preparation for smog season, which begins May 1 and runs all the way until September 30. This five-month stretch can be very taxing for asthmatic children, the elderly and anyone with sensitivities to ground-level ozone and particle pollution.

But before we sigh in exasperation over the next public health issue we must tackle after pollen and swine flu, let's celebrate: Governor Perdue has officially proclaimed this week to be Air Quality Awareness Week. This proclamation draws attention to the significant challenges we face in beating back ambient air pollution ... and it puts the ball in our court to act. Is there anything positive to note on the air quality front? You bet. Here are a few things to get excited about before smog season kicks off:

1. The efforts of thousands of commuters who pledged to use commute alternatives like carpooling, vanpooling, transit, telework, bicycling and walking once a week over the course of a year have really paid off. The Clean Air Campaign is celebrating the first anniversary of the One Ton Challenge, a simple way for commuters to go green. More than 3,600 commuters took the pledge, resulting in at least 3,600 tons of pollution kept out of the air we breathe. If you're not on board yet, signing up is a snap.

2. There are quite a few long-time users of commute alternatives who are approaching big milestones in clean commuting. To commemorate the sustained efforts of these champions -- each of whom has accounted for eliminating at least 25,000 pounds of air pollution -- The Clean Air Campaign just launched a special recognition program.

3. After another dry year in 2008, things appear to be looking up in 2009 for breaking out of one of the worst droughts ever to grip the state. But we need lots of precipitation this summer to help mitigate the conditions that cause smog to form. How much rain we'll get is anyone's guess, but the Farmer's Almanac says "rainfall will be well above normal in the south." Of course, it also says we should expect a hurricane in late-August or September ... and we all remember what that did to gas prices and commuting.

This is all great news, but it's important to keep our progress toward cleaner air in perspective. Consider:

1. The American Lung Association today released its annual State of the Air report, which finds Atlanta ranked among the 25 worst metro areas for both ground-level ozone and particle pollution. We're doing marginally better when compared to previous years, but we've got more work to do.

2. Last smog season, metro Atlanta experienced nearly 30 days in which ground-level ozone and/or particle pollution reached unhealthy levels -- that's almost a month's worth of dirty air. It's important to note that the 2008 smog season brought with it the introduction of tighter standards for air quality, which were put in place to protect public health. What's encouraging is that roughly half of last year's smog days resulted from this change in standards, meaning we would only have experienced about 15 days of bad air if the old standards had remained in effect.

So, how do you see things shaping up for Georgia this year? Weigh in with a response ... and be sure to sign up for Smog Alerts from The Clean Air Campaign -- messages sent straight to your e-mail inbox or to your Twitter account (follow @CleanAirGA) to help you plan ahead when the next day's air quality is forecasted to be poor. Here's hoping we don't have to send too many messages out.

As the trees and day lilies start blooming, it's clear Mother Nature has begun to cast her spell over the region. And with the arrival of springtime, our attention turns to the long list of tasks that make up "spring cleaning." Of course, everyone's list is different ... but how "green" is each of us committed to making our spring cleaning activities?

Here are a few common spring cleaning tasks to consider "greening" as you write up your to-do list:

1. Tune up your lawnmower and lawn equipment
Before you wheel that mower out of the shed and crank it up, remember that the engine probably has not been turned over in months. When you consider that the US Environmental Protection Agency has found a typical gas-powered mower gives off as much pollution per hour as 11 cars, it's worth getting the mower tuned up before yard season begins. New filter, oil and spark plug, plus some fuel stabilizer, and you're ready to roll. If you're in the market for a new machine, why not check out an electric mower?

2. Do a quick check around the outside of your house
Inspect your air conditioner for any obstructions around it and make sure it's in good working condition. After dark, turn on the lights inside, walk around your house and look for any gaps around windows and doors where light comes through -- a sure sign more sealant is needed. Get lots of other ideas here.

3. Put your old PC equipment into the hands of someone who could really use it
Technology moves by in dog years, especially when it comes to personal computers. If you're getting a new CPU or monitor and planning to scrap your old equipment, don't send it to the landfill. Give your Pentium or faster computers and parallel equipment (monitors, mice, speakers, printers, modems, etc) away to ReBoot Georgia, a non-profit that refits old computers for use by persons with disabilities. Contributions to ReBoot are tax-deductible.

Oh, yeah ... one other line that should be on your to-do list: if you've changed your e-mail address in the past 6 months, make sure The Clean Air Campaign has your correct e-mail address to send out Smog Alerts so you'll know when the next day's air quality is forecasted to be unhealthy. That way, you can plan ahead for any activities you might consider doing outdoors. Simply register here.

What other "green" tips or suggestions do you have that might help other "weekend warriors" who are ready to roll up their sleeves and begin spring cleaning?

We’re still a few months away from the start of Smog Season in Georgia, the period from May through September when ground-level ozone is most likely to form. But there’s another lingering air pollution issue that affects our health year-round. Concentrations of fine particulate matter, known more broadly as “particle pollution,” are present in the air we breathe.

If you’ve ever been within sight of a smokestack or a tailpipe, you’ve no doubt seen that black plume of smoke spring forth and then dissipate. The process of combustion (burning something, whether it be gasoline, wood, coal, etc) produces small airborne fragments of dust, soot and chemicals – so small that they are invisible to the naked eye. Particle pollution can also occur in nature: think pollen in the springtime.

Fine particulate matter is so miniscule, it’s a mere fraction of the diameter of a human hair. At 2.5 micrometers in diameter, this visual (courtesy of the US Environmental Protection Agency) puts into perspective just how small particle pollution can be:

When these pollutants are present in high concentrations, what can they do to your health? For one, particle pollution can penetrate deep into your lungs, slipping past the body’s defenses and making it hard to breathe. This can trigger asthma attacks or even create situations where emergency medical attention is needed. Particle pollution can also irritate the eyes, nose and throat.

There are ways to curb particle pollution emissions. Coal-fired power plants are adding “scrubbers” at facilities to act as giant pipe cleaners that can reduce overall particle pollution output. Certain counties enact open burning bans that prohibit citizens from burning yard waste. Catalytic converters on buses, trucks, cars and vans help reduce output. And of course driving less helps, too.

But the big-picture challenge is to reduce energy consumption in a state that is among the nation’s fastest growing. How do we motivate people to change their habits when we’re talking about a problem that is invisible to the naked eye?

We all have our workday morning rituals: rise and shine, get cleaned up and dressed, fire up the coffee maker, etc. But there’s a habit many of us get into in the colder months that is completely unnecessary. Idling your vehicle’s engine to “warm it up” for several minutes before you drive can actually diminish the engine’s performance, release pollution into the air and waste fuel.

Most of us grew up believing that idling a vehicle in cold conditions is good for the engine, but the truth is that it can wear down engine components, which are built to work more efficiently and produce fewer emissions in today’s cars than in the cars manufactured decades ago. The best way to warm up an engine today is to put it in drive and go.

Unnecessarily engine idling hurts air quality. The US Environmental Protection Agency advises that each minute of unnecessary vehicle engine idling can emit Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and other pollutants into the air, to the tune of nearly 10 grams a minute in typical personal vehicles during cold weather.

In various consumer publications, the EPA has also advised that you’ll save fuel by turning the engine off and restarting it again if you expect to idle for more than 30 seconds. Something to think about next time you’re sitting at a red light or waiting in line at the drive-thru.

The Clean Air Campaign is enjoying success in getting carpool parents to shut off their engines while waiting for children at a Clean Air School. In almost every case, the decision to not idle becomes a reflex reaction when drivers learn that exhaust emissions can harm children (who breathe, on average, 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than adults).

Even employers with diesel engine fleet vehicles are getting in on the act, encouraging drivers to shut off their engines while waiting at the loading dock. For businesses, it’s the transportation equivalent of turning off the lights when the building is empty.

Reducing unnecessary vehicle engine idling can truly be no-brainer … when commuters have the presence of mind to remember to do it.

Today we’re exactly halfway through smog season. How are we doing so far? Good question.

As you may know, the EPA tightened ozone standards earlier this year. As a result, the Atlanta region was expected to have more violations.

So far during smog season, metro Atlanta has registered 16 ozone violations (2 code red, unhealthy for everyone; 14 code orange, unhealthy for sensitive groups). Last year during the same period, we logged 12 ozone violations (2 code red; 10 code orange).

If the standard had not changed, eight of this year’s violations would not have been recorded. So while we have more violations than last year, you could say that we’re having a better year. But the bottom line is that standards changed for a very good reason: to better protect human health. From that perspective, even one violation is one too many.

If you are changing your commuting habits to be more “green,” (or even to save money), rest assured that your hard work is making a difference. Each day in metro Atlanta, your relationship with The Clean Air Campaign is helping to eliminate 1.2 million vehicle miles of travel and keep 600 tons of pollution out of the air. But commuters in the region can do more.

Besides ditching your solo driving habits, there are other simple actions you can take to protect your health:

1. Sign up to receive Smog Alerts.
2. Learn how to protect yourself and your family from the negative health effects of bad air.
3. Encourage others to do the same.

The hottest days of summer are still ahead of us, so please share any tips you have for reducing pollution on Smog Alert days.

And so you know we’re not alone in this fight, take a look at the new Olympic stadium in Beijing. The Christian Science Monitor reports that one reading of particle pollution at the stadium was seven times the World Health Organization’s recommended levels. Being part of the solution is more important than ever in our world. But, without question, being part of the solution must start with us taking action here in Georgia.