Looking for a simple way to improve the local air quality and reduce global warming? We’ve got one: stop idling.
Looking for a simple way to improve the local air quality and reduce global warming? We’ve got one: stop idling.
Innocent idling happens — it might be that radio story we have to finish or the messages we check while waiting at a student pickup — but all of those minutes idling in our car add up. In the U.S., it is estimated that 3 billion gallons of fuel are wasted each year through idling.
Idling is more than “fuelish,” it’s unhealthy. Exhaust emissions worsen asthma, bronchitis, and allergies. According to the NJ DEP, the fine particle pollution in diesel exhaust may cause more premature deaths in our state than homicides and car accidents combined.
Also, idling for more than 3 minutes is illegal in New Jersey with limited exceptions, including those for emergency vehicles.
Take action. Ask your friends, family and school bus drivers to stop idling. Report diesel vehicles idling more than 3 minutes by calling 877-WARN-DEP and encourage your school district to sign the No Idling Pledge.
Sustainable Princeton is a non-partisan, non-profit organization in Princeton, NJ with a mission to inspire our community to develop and implement solutions that positively impact our environment. It’s our vision that Princeton be a model town that examines every action through the lens of sustainability ensuring a healthy environment, a strong economy, and the wellbeing of all community members now and in the future.
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