The California Air Resources Board points out that motor vehicles are a major source of air pollution in California. The solution to preventing smog, therefore, is to avoid turning on cars. One alternative means of transportation utilizing fewer cars would be carpooling instead of driving individual cars to work. Other ways to avoid using your car would be by coordinating carpooled shopping trips with neighbors, so that only one car is used instead of many, or by taking public transportation or using a bicycle.
Every time a coal-fired electrical generating plant is used, smog is created by the burning coal.The solution to prevent smog is not starting up the plant. However, the electricity has to be generated from somewhere. In 2011, our society uses wind turbines, solar energy and geothermal heat to generate electricity.These are relatively new technologies, but they are effective ,since no smog is produced. The California Energy Commission (CEC) states that in 2004, wind turbines in the state produced 4,258 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. The CEC pointed out that this is enough electricity to light a city about the size of San Fransisco.
If your job is desk-related, inquire about working from home. Many customer service or similar telephone jobs may have this option. When a customer calls in, the phone call is automatically routed to the employee's home. By working at home, you do not have to use your car. This, in turn, prevents smog, since your car is not turned on. Inquire at your company if working from home is feasible. State to your employer that an offshoot benefit to the company is reduced electrical usage at the office, since computers and lighting will not have to be turned on.
Coal-fired plants are turned on and off depending on the demands of the grid. Reducing consumption will leave more coal-fired plants turned off, preventing smog. Reduced consumption takes the form of using more energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs. For example, fluorescent light bulbs screw into a conventional base. These bulbs consume far less energy than incandescent bulbs, thereby reducing energy needs. "Green Tech" reports that Australia is making an all-out effort to reduce energy consumption by using energy-efficient technologies such as fluorescent bulbs replacing incandescent bulbs. By using energy-efficient devices, coal-burning plants are not turned on, and Australia is preventing smog generation.