To Idle or Not to Idle, An Environmental Question

By Gary O'Brien, Team Leader, from the Greenbank M.S. Winter Newsletter

With the coming of winter, Canadians once again embark on the traditions associated with the season: hockey, holiday shopping in malls, hot chocolate, etc. And yes, especially now that we have remote starting devices, the idling of motor engines. But some traditions need not to be continued... According to Transport Canada idling engines:

produce twice as much exhaust emissions as engines in motion because they are generally not operating at their peak temperature, which means fuel combustion is incomplete. Idling for more than 10 seconds wastes money and causes damage to the environment Idling engines are a particular issue at schools. For example, a study found that a third of parents in the Toronto area idle their vehicles while waiting for their children. This is added to the fact that air pollution at that particular time of day is already very high because of traffic congestion. Putting a stop to idling engines would be a great help in protecting air quality and contributing to the fight against climate change, not withstanding the fact that is also saves on gas consumption.

Again, Transport Canada advises that: "The best way to do this is to drive the vehicle. With today's modern engines, you need no more than 10 seconds of idling before starting to drive."

Here are a few other facts found on the National Research web site:

• Three percent of Ontario's fuel is wasted by idling. An idling gas engine burns about 3.5 litres an hour.
• Ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine!
• It wastes money: $1.8 million of fuel is idled away by Canadians every day.
• It is harmful to your engine: soot deposits can accumulate on cylinder walls leading to oil contamination and damaged components. Idling, while warming an engine, does not warm the wheel bearings, steering, transmission and tires--only driving does this.

Source: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/communities-government/idling.cfm

This is good food for thought as the cold season is upon us now. Spread the word and next time you complain or hear someone complain about climate change or smog, at least you can say you did your part, a small one maybe but they all count.

Did You Know?

EarthCARE saves the Ottawa-Carleton School Board over $1,000,000 & Reduces CO2 Emissions by 10 Tonnes.