Freeport CAPBuilding Environmental Communities

Sponsors

Maine DEP

Maine Council of Churches

Maine Chapter - Sierra Club

Freeport Community - You

Goals Introduce the project to a larger

sector of the community

Receive input and feedback

Recruit volunteers - to be

involved at various capacity as it fits your interest schedule

Freeport CAPBuilding Environmental Communities

Clean Air

High smog levels cause 159,000 trips to the emergency room, 53,000 hospital admissions, and 6 million asthma attacks each summer

Maine has the highest rate of childhood asthma in New England and one of the highest in the country

Freeport CAPBuilding Environmental Communities

Global Warming - Climate Change

The world's leading scientists project that during our children's lifetimes, global warming will raise the average temperature of the planet by 2.7 to 11 degrees Fahrenheit.

Freeport CAPBuilding Environmental Communities

Freeport CAPBuilding Environmental Communities

• Global Warming - Climate ChangeWhy is the United States world’s largest global

warming polluter.

Transportation. Cars, sport-utility vehicles and other light trucks emit 20 percent of the nation’s CO2 pollution.

Industry and Buildings

Dirty Power Plants

Global Warming - Climate Change

Freeport CAPBuilding Environmental Communities

No global warming solution will succeed unless we can control emissions from cars

No-Idling can reduce emissions

Presentation Overview

Why idling is a problem

Myths about idling

Benefits of taking action

What we can do about idling

Why Idling Is a Problem

Idling our vehicles:

produces unnecessary pollution that contributes to climate change, smog and health problems;

wastes fuel and costs us money; and

is not good for vehicle engines.

Most idle 5–10 minutes a day.

Idling produces unnecessary emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2).

Idling jeopardizes our health.

North Americans’ Idling Habits

It can be done . . .with the turn of a key.

Idling a vehicle for 5 minutes a day uses an average of 13 gallons of gas a year. More than 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine.

Idling a medium duty gasoline vehicle for just five minutes each day can emit as much as 300 pounds of harmful pollutants in a year (30 lbs. which include toxic air pollutants, 280 lbs. of greenhouse gases).

Idling Myth No. 1The engine should be warmed up

before driving.

RealityReality Idling is not an effective way to

warm up your vehicle.

Driving your vehicle is the best way to warm it up.

30 seconds of warming up your vehicle on winter days is enough.

Idling Myth No. 2Idling is good for your engine.

RealityReality

Excessive idling can damage your engine components, including cylinders, spark plugs and the exhaust system.

Idling Myth No. 3Shutting off and restarting your

vehicle is hard on the engine and uses more gas.

RealityReality Frequent restarting has little impact

on engine components.

More than 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine.

AREA

MOBILE

POINT

AREA 25.8%MOBILE 62.1%POINT 12.1%Total: 100.0%

Pollutants include all: HAPS, NOx, SOx, CO, Lead, VOC, PM10

Does not include emissions from Biogenic sourcesor any of the Greenhouse gasses (eg. CO2, Methane, etc.)

Pollutants from Anthropogenic Sources in Maine

1999 National Emissions Inventory Data

The Benefits of Taking Action

Not idling will:

save you money;

let you breathe more easily;

help you spare our climate and air;

reduce engine wear and tear.

Summary

Unnecessary idling produces unnecessary pollution.

Idling wastes fuel and costs us money.

We can all easily do our share for clean air by turning it off.

We can stop idling and help, slow climate change and save energy and money.

So, What Can We Do?Voluntary Options

As individuals

Adopt an anti-idling action plan

Together

School-based campaigns

Work-based initiatives

Community awareness and outreach campaign

Regulatory Options

Idling control by-laws

An Anti-Idling Personal Action Plan

1. Reduce “warm up” idling to 30 seconds.2. If you are going to be stopped for more

than 30 seconds, turn off your engine.3. Do not use a remote car starter.4. Spread the word to your family and

friends.

School-Based Campaigns

A recent “Turn it Off” project in the City of Toronto found that over a third (35–45 percent) of parents idle their vehicles while waiting to pick up their children.

School-Based CampaignsWe can: Offer local schools a transportation

awareness workshop, and provide supporting educational materials.

spread the word through local community newsletters, flyers, information cards, Idle-Free Zone signs and decals for vehicle windows.

involve students: conduct surveys, make posters, distribute handouts and provide them with tools to teach others about it.

Community Awareness and Outreach Campaign

Distribute anti-idling signs, information cards/pledge cards and vehicle decals.

Distribute flyers and posters.

Develop a community Web page.

Prepare press releases and articles for the local newspaper.

Produce displays for local events.

Make a presentation to city council, the chamber of commerce or other community organizations.

Idling Control By-Laws

Does your municipality have an idling control by-law?

Would they consider adopting other creative non-regulatory measures – such as anti-idling policies for the municipal fleet – rather than make unnecessary idling against the law.

Some Sample No-Idling Graphics

More sample No-Idling Campaign Materials

Using social marketing to change behavior:

Research - conduct surveys, find out what others have done, local discussions/meetings.

Getting Commitment:: inform and get pledges - local newspapers, posters, post-cards, parade float, school transportation workshop, etc…...

Establishing NORMS: Community displays, peer leaders, news ads that feature neighbors commitment, neighbor to neighbor contact….?

Prompts/Reminder of Action: air fresheners, key chains, window decals, bumper stickers, etc…..?

Evaluate Results - post survey