Be Idle Free Everywhere
IT’S YOUR E-MISSION!

Have you ever left your vehicle idling for more than 10 seconds while waiting to pick up your child at school or while at the drive-up window at the bank?  Most of us have.  Here are some very good reasons to rethink this common habit:

Vehicle emissions are the largest contributing factor to air pollution.  The combustion of fossil fuels releases several types of air pollutants that are detrimental to our health.  These include sulfur dioxides, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and other toxins contributing to the formation of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels.

Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution.  Children breathe 50 percent faster and inhale more air per pound of body weight than adults.  Studies have shown a direct link between many respiratory diseases and pollutants found in vehicle exhaust.  In fact, asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization for children under the age of 15.

Excessive idling is expensive.  Over 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting your engine.  Idling for 10 minutes a day uses an average of 22 gallons of gas per year, and gets zero miles to the gallon.  Excessive idling is not good for your vehicle either.  It can actually damage your engine components, including cylinders, spark plugs, and exhaust systems, whereas frequent restarting has little impact on engine components like the battery and starter motor.

For the children, for yourself, and for the environment, please remember to keep your emission down and turn off your car if it isn’t moving!

1-2-3 TURN THE KEY!

Please join our Portland effort to change this

Here’s a suggestion for how to avoid idling – see what happens when you do things in this order:

1. Make your phone call or map out where you’re going first, then..
2. Get in the car
3. Put on seat belts
4. Turn on Car
5. Go where you’re going.

1st Article by WA Post on the uselessness of idling in the Winter and follow up by WA Post: This is why people still think they should idle their cars in winter.

Here’s a great Brochure on Anti-Idling

Some good news from Obama regarding airplanes and emissions. btw, why not military jets included?

This is just in thanks to Evan Manvel: Oregon Greenhouse Gas Reduction Toolkit: Strategy Report: OREGON SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVE: Eco Driving PDF