Travel Green. Live Green.

Summer is a great time to get out and enjoy the wonderful outdoors, and what a better place to do so than in our beautiful surroundings. But there are a few things you should know about summer air quality and how to protect yourself and your family on Spokane’s hottest summer days.

On Spokane’s hottest days, days when the mercury hits the 90+ degree mark, the air we're breathing may have elevated levels of ground-level ozone pollution, commonly called smog. Ozone is a hazardous air pollutant regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In fact, this March, EPA announced more stringent standards for ozone to better protect public health.

Using alternatives to driving alone, as well as other clean air actions such as not idling your car for more than 30-seconds, combining errands into fewer trips, recycling, conserving energy, and using electric or manual yard tools, will help the air quality in our community and save you some hard-earned $Green$ too!

When you Travel Green by using a commute alternative to work, such as bicycling, carpooling, walking, riding the bus, vanpooling or working from home, and you fill out your commute calendar, you’ll be eligible to win 1 of 20 Green Cleaning Kits. Live Green when you use the Green Cleaning Kits to help keep the air quality in your home cleaner and healthier. You’ll also be eligible to win a 1 of 2 $50 Home Depot gift cards, a pair of Lookout Pass tickets or a $250 Visa Cash Card in the grand prize. You could take another step towards cleaner air by purchasing an electric lawn mower if you win the grand prize.

Travel Green. Live Green. this summer! Help do your part to keep our community Green! For more living green tips, visit www.spokanecleanair.org. For help in finding a commute alternative that best meets your needs, contact your Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) at your worksite.

Don't forget to fill out your calendar by the 8th to be eligible for prizes on MyCommute.org.

To be eligible for prizes given away in July, your employer must have committed to participating in the Travel Green. Live Green campaign in July and continue promoting commute alternatives in August and September by signing an employer agreement form and submitting it to the Spokane County Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) Office. Please check with your Employee Transportation Coordinator (ETC) at your worksite to see if you are eligible to win. Your odds of winning are based on the number of eligible on-line commute calendars filled out each month. To win, you must use a commute alternative and have an on-line commute calendar filled out by the 8th of the following month.