Idling Gets You Nowhere
Poster by Natural Resources Canada
Another one of my (admittedly myriad) pet peeves: Idling cars, which spew just about as many pollutants as an ad-hoc convention of genitalia-impaired smokers does. I’d stick these flyers (provided by Natural Resources Canada) under people’s windshields if I could get reassurance that it wouldn’t just be a waste of paper. Or that I wouldn’t get shot. Right now, I’m the Queen of Dirty Looks.
NRCAN on why you should turn off your engine when parked, even if it’s only “for a little while.”
Conserve energy: You’ll help reduce needless greenhouse gas emissions.
Breathe easier: You’ll breathe more easily by combating problems like poor air quality and smog.
Save money: You’ll save over 80 litres of gasoline per year if you reduce your idling by only 10 minutes a day.
Idling for over 10 seconds uses more fuel than restarting your engine.
Besides poster and flyers, you can also print stickers for your car, bicycle, or commuter cup.
[via Treehugger]
Jason said,
February 5, 2007 at 3:09 pm
I often drive one of those Civic Hybrids (via Flexcar shared car) that automatically shutdown the engine. At brief stops, it shuts down the engine automatically until you press the gas pedal. I wonder if the
Gina said,
February 6, 2007 at 2:23 pm
I used to be irked by people who would heat up their car before driving, and now, I realize that there is some method to this madness. A too cold car is too stressed to drive well. That said, I allow my car to run for 5 minutes maximum before I zip off to work. Even though I’m a driver, I hate people who idle in front of a store, etc. I hate it more when I see that the driver and the passenger (who has been let off in front of the door while the rest of us choke on idle fumes) could stand to walk a few paces from the parking lot to the front door.
The Worsted Witch » said,
June 19, 2007 at 1:49 pm
[...] Turning off your car engine instead of idling really does save you gas. See also: Idling Gets You Nowhere. [...]