Breathe Easy
Please Turn Your Engine Off: Exhaust is Harmful
Learn More About Breathe Easy Campaign and Parntership with Poudre School District
Find out why car idling is not good for our air, wallets, or cars, and what we can do about it! In an audio interview with Air Quality Program Manager Lucinda Smith conducted by Tri-102.5 FM mid-day host Paul Wozniak, we learn about the "Breathe Easy" anti-idling campaign that the City of Fort Collins is working with in partnership with Poudre School District, what citizens of Fort Collins say matters to them in regards to the quality of our air, and easy alternatives to car idling. Paul's blog entry is insightful, and the audio interview with Lucinda is full of sound data as Lucinda and Paul discuss practical, easy ways to save money, improve our Fort Collins air, and cause less wear and tear on our cars.
Breathe Easy Video
Wondering if idling your car really makes a difference to your health, wallet, and the environment? Wonder no more. Check out this "Breathe Easy" video and learn the scoop from experts.
Why is unnecessary idling bad?
5 Easy Ways to Stop Idling and Breathe Easy
- Turn off your ignition if you're waiting more than 30 seconds.
- Stop idling while the train is passing.
- Stop idling at school drop-off zones.
- Park and go inside instead of using the drive-thru lane.
- Warm up your engine by driving slowly, not by idling.
Car Exhaust Is Harmful To Human Health
- Just one minute of idling puts more carbon monoxide into the air than smoking 3 packs of cigarettes.
- Idling fumes are linked to asthma, decreased lung function, cardiac disease, cancer and other serious health problems.
- 89,000 children in Colorado have asthma.
- 29% of Fort Collins residents have a member of their household with a respiratory disease.
- People often idle right where we breathe; along sidewalks, schools yards, playgrounds, hospitals, etc.
- According to the EPA, diesel exhaust contains both very small particles and 40 chemicals that are classified as “hazardous air pollutants” under the Clean Air Act.
- Exposure to most car pollutants is much higher inside cars than along the roadside, up to 7 times the outside air level, according to the International Center for Technology Assessment.
Idling Wastes Money
- Fort Collins drivers waste money each year in fuel costs from idling.
- Most people waste 1-2 tanks of gas each year from idling.
- An idling car does not perform at full capacity, which can lead to expensive repairs. For example:
- Oil contamination due to residue build-up on the cylinders.
- Corrosion caused by excessive condensation collected in the exhaust system.
- Decreased peak engine operating temperature due to spark plug residue.
What is idling?
Idling is running the engine of a vehicle while it is not going anywhere.
Car Exhaust Pollutes The Environment
- Only five minutes of idling each day emits 25 pounds of air pollution and 260 pounds of carbon dioxide each year, which contributes to global warming.
- Idling worsens ground level ozone. Fort Collins already violates the health standard for ground level ozone.
- Idling contributes to the brown cloud and obscured mountain views.