Idling Mythology

Have you seen the Union of Concerned Scientists Green Tip on idling: http://www.ucsusa.org/publications/greentips/

Terri

Hi Terri,

Natural Resources Canada has a great website on Idling at http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation/personal/idling.cfm?attr=8. It includes a section on myths.

Cheers,
Wendy

Wendy Avis
Manager, Climate Change Section
604.666-8140
Strategic Integration Division
Pacific & Yukon Region Environment Canada
201-401 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6C 3S5

Hi David,

The City of Vancouver, BC, Canada has just passed an Idleing by-law and we have addressed a lot of these mythes on our website-"http://www.idlefree.ca"

Sara Blenkhorn,

City of Vancouver, Sustainbility office,
Engagement Coordinator
(604) 871-6921
[email protected]

Hi David-

The State of Massachusetts also has an anti-idling law. Here is some specific information: Am I causing more pollution by stopping and starting the engine? No. Once the engine has warmed up, an idling engine causes more pollution by running than by stopping and starting up again. Studies indicate that the trade-off for light- and medium-duty gasoline powered vehicles is about 10 seconds (i.e. the vehicle will produce more pollution idling longer than 10 seconds than it will by shutting down and restarting the engine). The time trade-off on medium- and heavy- duty diesel engines is about 30 seconds. Won't I wear out my starter if I keep stopping and starting the engine? Fleet managers of companies with strict anti-idling policies report that they do not replace starters in their vehicles more frequently than vehicles that are left running for extended periods. In fact, more damage occurs to engines that are left idling over long periods of time. For more resources, check out the MassDEP website (it's a zipped file): http://www.mass.gov/dep/air/community/depirkit.zip or http://www.mass.gov/dep/air/community/schbusir.htm

Good luck!
Courtney Forrester

Solid Waste Manager
Newton Department of Public Works
617/796.1499
http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/dpw/recycling
http://www.WasteNotNewton.com

Wow - talk about synchronicity - I just compiled a list of no idle program links this morning - these are US-oriented programs, case studies, calculators, current and pending legislation on a state-by-state basis, and toolkits for starting a no idle program and/or clean diesel school bus program in your community.

Enjoy!
Carrie McChesney
Environmental Sustainability Coordinator
PNM Resources (NYSE: PNM)
T: 505.241.0827

Clean School Bus programs: This is a link to a 2001 case study NRDC did about the health effects of diesel school buses in California. The emissions comparison metrics are going to be somewhat dated, but it is still a good resource http://www.nrdc.org/air/transportation/schoolbus/sbusinx.asp

The Union of Concerned Scientists have a tremendous amount of data, case studies and emissions avoidance calculators, as well as a national-level program called Clean School Buses, Healthy Kids campaign http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/big_rig_cleanup/alternative-fuel-sc hool-buses.html

Adopt-a-schoolbus program (Texas) http://www.aacog.com/schoolbus/

How to develop a no-idle zone program (info and toolkit) http://www.pscleanair.org/actions/vehicles/schools.aspx

The EPA also has a Clean School Bus campaign - here is a link to the state-level programs participating Texas State Energy Conservation Office program site: http://www.seco.cpa.state.tx.us/tp_bus-clean.htm

Maine's Bureau of Air Quality: http://www.maine.gov/dep/air/school/

EPA's New England region: http://www.epa.gov/region01/eco/diesel/index.html

This site lists all of the state Clean School Bus programs on one page, along with the current and pending legislation for school bus diesel emissions: http://www.serconline.org/schoolbus/stateactivity.html http://www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/idle/links.html

No-Idle Programs
http://www.airwatchnorthwest.org/wa/NO_IDLE/ http://yosemite.epa.gov/gw/StatePolicyActions.nsf/a7364c7584cf98d6852570 6700511a6e/4de5480cc70817b88525720b00686966!OpenDocument http://www.pscleanair.org/actions/vehicles/noidle.aspx http://idlefreevt.org/links.index.html http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/pdfs/idling_2004/keller.pdf

No-idle program newsletters http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/pdfs/newsletters/mar06_netw ork_news.pdf

Stories and articles (how they developed their own programs) http://www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/champions/2004_dec.php

 

David,

Please see www.smartidle.com or www.Southshorecleancities.org Also you can work with the Chicago Area Clean Cities Coordinator who would be happy to assist you on this endeavor ON MYTHS ON IDLING. Ms. Samantha Bingham [email protected] Another Contact in your area is Mr. Darwin Burkhart of the IL EPA in Springfield, Il He is also the Chair for the Chicago Area Clean Cities Program His number is 217-557-1441 A program to place on your calendar will be 5/11/07 and held in Willowbrook, Il and will feature breakout sessions on idling and EPA/DOE approved technologies, and funding opportunities in the Midwest. This program will be Conducted by Chicago Area Clean Cities, Wisconsin Clean Cities and also South Shore Clean Cities in conjunction with US EPA Region V and the Midwest Clean Diesel Leadership Group.

Carl Lisek
Legacy Environmental Services, Inc.
219-365-4289

In followup to the inquiry from Wilcoxen, David B, I have participated in the development of a municipal bylaw in London, Ontario and delivered a number of seasonal campaigns on behalf of the Health Unit who enforces the bylaw and local NGOs over a period of time. This includes business fleets, traffic congestion sites, family physicians, schools to establish no idling zones, day cares, gas stations, potentially strip malls and property managers this spring. If you wish to followup, please email me.

Thanks,
Diane Szoller,
[email protected]