PALISADES ELEMENTARY - Lake Oswego School District

Don’t stay idle:Take action.Have you ever left yourvehicle idling for more than10 seconds while waiting topick up your child at school orwhile at the drive-up windowat the bank?Most of us have.Here are some very goodreasons to rethink thiscommon habit.Vehicle exhaust is the leadingsource of toxic air pollutionin Oregon.While sitting inan idling vehicle,drivers are moreexposed to thevehicle’s pollutionthan whenthe vehicle is inmotion becauseairflow ventsthe emissionsAbout 40 to 50 percent of toxicair pollutants in Oregon comefrom vehicle exhaust. The combustionof fossil fuels releases sulfurdioxides, particulate matter,carbon monoxide and air toxins.These pollutants cause respiratoryor nervous system damageas well as cancer and other healthproblems. Carbon dioxide (CO 2 )the primary global warming gas,is also released from burningfossil fuels.Vehicle exhaust is hazardous tohuman health, especially children’s.Children’sasthmasymptomsincrease as aresult of carexhaustStudies have linked pollutionfrom vehicles to increased ratesof cancer, heart and lung disease,and asthma. Exposure tomost vehicle exhaust is muchhigher inside vehicles than at theroadside. Children, whose lungs are still developing,breathe more rapidly and inhale more pollutantsper pound of body weight than adults. Asthma is thethird leading cause of hospitalization for childrenunder the age of 15.Vehicle idling is expensive andhard on your engine.Shutting off yourengine, ratherthan idling formore than 10seconds, notonly improvesair quality, itsaves fuel, tooOver 10 seconds of idling usesmore fuel than restarting yourengine. Just 1 hour of idlingburns about 1 gallon of gas andgets 0 miles per gallon. An idlingengine isn’t working at peakoperating temperature (sinceyour vehicle, designed to move, isstill when idling), and fuel doesn’t undergo completecombustion. This can damage your engine components,including cylinders, spark plugs, and exhaustsystems. Frequent restarting of a vehicle has littleimpact on engine components such as the battery andstarter motor.Here’s What You Can Do:Turn it off after 10 secondsIf you are going to be stopped for more than 10 seconds (except in traffic), turn off your engine.Reduce warm-up idlingToday’s modern engine needs no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days before driving.Driving is the best way to warm it up.Spread the wordTalk to your family, friends, and neighbors about the benefits of reduced idling. Encourage them to joinyou in protecting the environment, contributing to a healthier community, and saving money.