Green Journal: Update on Anti-Idling Effort
November 26, 2007
Posted by CindyC in : Green Journal , trackback
A while ago, I read up on some disturbing impacts of car idling on the environment and decided to join a neighborhood effort to curb unnecessary idling. Our first target was the local school, where parents often idle during pick-up or drop-off time. Sometime, the parents idle up to 10 minutes, emitting car exhaust while other waiting children directly inhale the pollutant.
The group had approached the principal last month and finally she responded last week. The principal was very supportive of our effort and will put our anti-idling brochure in the weekly newsletter. This was a great first step for us. However, to approve and enforce an anti-idling policy, we will need the support of the PTA. So next, we will work on our communication and campaign for PTA support. (The HCES actually offers an anti-idling tool kit to help local campaign efforts.)
On a personal level, I was walking with my daughter right before Thanksgiving and noticed a fellow preschool mom walking towards an idling van. Although a bit apprehensive, I decided to strike up a conversation in attempt to bring up this issue (while our children were admiring each other’s backpacks). During our chat, I casually mentioned how expensive gas has become and how my family tries to conserve by consolidating errands or turning off the car when not needed. I mentioned I read that if the average family cut out 5 minutes of idling per day, they can save over $100 a year in fuel cost. (1) She said she never thought about how the cost of idling and how much it was costing her family. She actually thanked me for the suggestion. Although it was not the environmental epiphany I would like, this will hopefully mean one less car idling in the neighborhood.
(1) http://www.thehcf.org/antiidlingprimer.html
CindyC at Organicpicks
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Resons to Stop Idling
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Comments»
At my daughter’s pre-school, a mom dropped off her kid while leaving her Suburban idling. 10 minutes later, I walked past it again and it was still idling and the mom was chatting with someone at another corner of the parking lot. I did not have the nerve to walk up to her. I wish there were ready-made cards that listed simple stats (something like: 5 minutes of idling everyday = $100 lost a year), so I could leave it on her windshield…
Hi Cindies C&W,
I’m learning about Community Based Social Marketing, CBSM, and one of their huge success stories is anti-idling done with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). It’s a bit long to discuss in a comment, but here are a few links:
http://oee.rncan.gc.ca/communities-government/transportation/municipal-communities/what_you_can_do/socialMarketing.cfm?attr=28
http://oee.rncan.gc.ca/communities-government/transportation/municipal-communities/no-idling-campaign/3-research.cfm?attr=28
http://www.hopedance.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=374&Itemid=32
http://www.cbsm.com/
It’s brilliant… sort of… using psychology to influence public behaviour. Duh or Dah!
Email me if you want my take on it as I’m developing an innovative environmental policy strategy on it so I am working through it with a real life example I will carry out next year so I’m absorbing it slowly, but pretty seriously.
Minh
Very interesting Minh - I’m definitely going to share this with the others in the group and will keep folks updated on our progress. Thanks.