The initiative is called Leading the Way to Attainment: The Clean Air Consortium and is in the process of being introduced to various cities, including Saratoga. As mentioned in a letter addressed to Mayor Nick Streit and signed by county supervisor and board member of the air district Liz Kniss, cities agreeing to participate in the initiative can significantly reduce the likelihood of having official bad air days by encouraging residents to follow several preventative measures.

"We need the public's help and participation in keeping the quality of the air at a healthy level," said Luna Salaver, public information officer for the air district. "It does not take a lot of time or energy to help spare the air."

Some of the things residents can do on a Spare the Air advisory day include postponing painting projects until the weather is cooler; avoiding the use of aerosol products; using electrical gadgets instead of gas-powered equipment such as lawn mowers, trimmers and chainsaws; refueling vehicles after sundown; and using chimney starters in lieu of lighter fluid for barbecues.

As opposed to lighter fluid, which accounts for more than 14,500 tons of volatile organic compounds in the United States every year and contributes to the formation of ground level ozone—otherwise known as smog—chimney starters are electric and do not emit any chemicals.

"Adopting different commuting habits would be a major factor in reducing air pollution," said Salavar. "Approximately 40 percent of the pollution in the air comes from the gases emitted from vehicles."

Salaver encourages commuters to carpool and use public transportation. Jim Stallman, a Saratoga resident and member of the Silicon Valley Biking Coalition, said he prefers biking to nearby destinations whenever possible and feels good about contributing to a healthy atmosphere.

"It's easy to hop in a car," Stallman said. "But people have to think about the consequences it will have on others and the environment."

The coalition has attended several Spare the Air fairs sponsored by different corporations. On Aug. 21, some members of the coalition will be heading to Lockheed in Sunnyvale for its event.

The Spare the Air season started in June and will continue through mid-October. Spare the Air days are forecasted the day prior to a potentially bad air day and are based on meteorological conditions. Record-breaking temperatures and little to no wind are the main factors in signaling a red flag. Without wind to help disperse chemicals, pollutants remain stagnant in the air.

According to Salaver, there have been five Spare the Air advisories and one unhealthy air day so far this year, compared to 2002, when seven advisory and two unhealthy air days were reported. For more information on Spare the Air days, visit http://www.sparetheair.org.