Ever wonder why we tweet and blog? Well, that’s a secret, but we will tell you that we enjoy receiving kudos for our social media efforts.

In an article published  Monday, March 8, 2010, Tweeting to Save the Planet: The Role–And Limits–of Social Media in Environmental Solutions, 511 Contra Costa was mentioned alongside the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD), and Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) as organizations who effectively use Twitter to spread information and environmental awareness. The article also mentioned 511CC’s iSmog app, a free download that delivers Spare the Air notifications and other Bay Area air quality information to your iPhone.

Not sure if you should be following us on Twitter? We cover transportation, transit and air quality news & events in and around Contra Costa and the greater East Bay. We offer some pretty awesome promos, too.

If you aren’t sure which cities are in Contra Costa, we’ve listed them here:

Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Danville, El Cerrito, Hercules, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Richmond, San Pablo, San Ramon, and Walnut Creek.

Bonus for reading this far! If you become a new follower of @511CC by the end of the month, you’ll be entered to win $25 in gift cards to Peet’s Coffee & Tea. How sweet is that?