VERMONT IDLING NEWS UPDATES

Vermont Public Radio Commentary Series:
July 13, 2010

Jay Craven:
Exhausted In Nantucket

Jay Craven is a filmmaker who teaches at Marlboro College and directs Kingdom County Productions.
IDLING FACTS

OWNER'S MANUALS

Vehicle manufacturer's owner's manuals recommend and warn against excessive idling. Learn more here.
What is the big deal about parked vehicles that are idling? What is so bad about someone parked in their car, idling while chatting on a cell phone? Or a heavy-duty diesel delivery truck idling for 10-15-20 minutes? Eventually these vehicles go on their way and everything seems as it was before they parked and idled. But it isn’t. Although you don’t see it, harm has been done, some of it permanent. Any people that were in the vicinity, including the drivers, have been harmed by breathing the toxic emissions. There has been harm done to the engines, harm done to wallets or company profits, harm done to the environment, even harm done to America’s security. Drivers need to be made aware of this harmful and wasteful, yet unnecessary practice that occurs all over Vermont, every day.

Idle-Free VT Inc. is a Vermont non-profit corporation and grassroots campaign formed to address the issue of unnecessary vehicle idling (idling when parked or in drive through lanes) in Vermont. Its main goal is to raise awareness of idling. It also advocates enactment of Vermont idling legislation. Idle-Free VT seeks to achieve its goals through media exposure, forming coalitions, petitioning, working with legislators, and encouraging local activism (town ordinances or resolutions and school policies).

Unecessary vehicle idling is no fringe concern. Collectively, Vermonters can make a real difference in the quality of life of our state by avoiding needless idling. Here's how we benefit:

• SAVE MONEY:
Plain and simple, idling gets 0 MPG. A warmed up, parked light-duty vehicle in almost any circumstance should not idle for more than 30 seconds. At this point, it’s better to shut the engine off and restart when ready to drive. And when warming up a cold engine, even in subfreezing weather, 30 seconds usually suffices. Driving is the best way to warm up. Still have doubts? Read what owner's manuals say.

• IMPROVE AIR QUALITY / IMPROVE OUR HEALTH:
Despite the latest in advanced emission controls for light-duty vehicles, factors such as vehicle age, state of maintenance, wear of emissions components and colder weather lead to increased harmful emissions at idle that can affect our respiratory systems. Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, many equipped with diesel engines and less restrictive emissions controls, cause even higher levels of harmful emissions when idling.

• SLOW THE ADVANCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE:
Vehicle exhaust emissions also contain carbon dioxide (CO2) a leading contributor to climate change. Vermont's transportation greenhouse gas emissions, based on a geographic calculation, are nearly double the national average. At the very least, this threatens Vermont's ski, maple sugaring and tourism industries.

• IMPROVE SECURITY / CONSERVE ENERGY:
Our dependence on foreign oil poses a threat to our economic and strategic security. Idling reduction is part of the formula to help make Vermont and America energy independent.

• AVOID NEEDLESS ENGINE WEAR:
All engines can be affected by needless wear-and-tear from excessive idling. See owner's manual page samples here to learn more. Heavy-duty diesel engines are particularly susceptible to increased maintenance and shortened engine life from this practice, according to the EPA and several commercial engine manufacturers.

• OBEY VERMONT'S LAWS:
In certain locales and in certain instances (such as allowing a vehicle to idle while unattended in public) it is illegal to let a vehicle idle when parked.

For complete details on the concerns of idling--and what you can do about it--visit the IDLING FACTS page.

"WASTEBUSTERS - IDLING MYTHS" VIDEO!

Connecticut Dept. of Environmental Protection "Idling Is Fuelish" Campaign
Connecticut has a comprehensive educational no idling campaign. Featured is the "Wastebusters - Idling Myths" video: a parody of the Discovery Channel's popular Mythbusters program. Watch as the Wastebusters team of Dave, Lola and Lloyd "exhaust" idling myths. Very educational and entertaining.
ATTENTION VERMONT FLEET OPERATORS:
VERMONT IDLE-FREE FLEETS PROGRAM

The American Lung Association'a Vermont Idle-Free Fleets program is a year-long, DEC (Dept. of Environmental Conservation) grant-funded regional Vermont effort for 2010. Fleet operators in Chittenden and Rutland counties are being contacted and shown how to save significant sums money by adopting idling reduction policies, as Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and UPS are successfully doing. As part of this no-cost program, fleet operators are receiving information toolkits and being given PowerPoint presentations. For more details, visit the Vermont Idle-Free Fleets page.

For more information, contact:
Wayne Michaud, Vermont Idle-Free Fleets Coordinator
idlefreefleetsvt@lungne.org
802-876-6860

IDLE-FREE VT BUMPER STICKER

Raise people's awareness with this bumper sticker! It's available (along with other items) through the Cafepress.com "Make Your Own Stuff" offering.

Visit the Apparel and Prints page for details.

NOTE: Many links within this website are pdf documents. If these documents are not viewable, the likely solution is to download the free Adobe Reader.3
Web design by Wayne Michaud©2010
Idle-Free VT artwork may be used freely for NON-PROFIT purposes only.