Clean Air School
Help Our Young Lungs Breathe Easier
This Spring, 2010, Still Elementary is launching a no-idling campaign to protect the health of our students and the health of our environment. In addition to restricting idling on school grounds by school buses, we are also asking parents to adopt a no-idling policy for personal vehicles.
Soon, cars that are in the carpool lanes for morning drop-off or afternoon pick-up will be greeted with our new no-idling signs: No Idling –Young Lungs at Work. The No-Idling Zone is part of Still Elementary’s Clean Air Schools program, in partnership with The Clean Air Campaign.
Why should you support the no-idling effort?
- Idling harms our health
Vehicle exhaust is harmful to everyone’s health, but it especially affects children who breathe more and at a faster rate than adults. By turning off your car, our students, teachers and parents won’t breathe in unhealthy fumes as they enter school.
- Idling pollutes the air we breathe
Vehicle idling creates unnecessary pollution. By not idling, you reduce car exhaust and prevent up to 3 pounds of pollution per month from going into the air.
- Idling costs you money
A popular misconception is that idling your car uses less gas than turning it off and restarting. The truth is, if you are going to be sitting more than 30 seconds, it is more fuel efficient to turn your engine off. Idling also causes more wear and tear on engine parts.
Please support Still Elementary’s No-Idling Zone and turn your car off while waiting to pick up your
child(ren). Then we can all breathe easier. To learn more about air pollution, its effects and what you
can do, visit CleanAirCampaign.org.
Air Pollution Hits Home
· Georgia has a higher than average rate of childhood asthma: 11% compared to 5-7% nationally
· Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children and the cause of most school absences
· Children’s asthma symptoms increase from exposure to car exhaust
· Children breathe, on average, 50% more air per pound of body weight than adults
· Children are closer to the ground and therefore, closer to the tailpipes