Eco-Kings Action Team spreads the word about vehicle idling

April 5, 2008 is Anti-Idling Awareness Day in Kings County. The Eco-Kings Action Team, along with municipal councilors and high school students, will visit Wolfville, Kentville, Berwick, New Minas and Greenwood to spread awareness about the effects of vehicle idling on our health and the environment.

Reducing vehicle idling is a positive and easy way to reduce harmful emissions and save money.

The Eco Kings Action Team is a collaboration between the Municipality of the County of Kings, the Towns of Berwick, Kentville and Wolfville with the Kings Community Economic Development Agency, Valley Waste Resource Management, Eastern Kings Chamber of Commerce, and Eastern Habitat Joint Ventures.

The team and its members have held an anti-idling campaign in Kentville, adopted anti-idling policies, held an Energy Fair in Berwick and sponsored the keynote speaker at the Wolfville Eco-Fair in October 2007, who gave a live presentation of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”. For more information, visit www.ecokings.ca.

Why reduce vehicle idling?

To Save Money: because idling your vehicle for 10 minutes a day uses up more than 100 litres of gasoline a year. Idling for over 10 seconds uses more fuel than restarting your engine.

To Breathe Easier: you won’t have to breathe in exhaust fumes from a vehicle that’s going nowhere. Idling contributes to deteriorating air quality by affecting the health of vulnerable members of our community such as children, seniors and people with respiratory problems.

To Spare the Air: to combat problems like smog and climate change, people should use energy more wisely and find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Five simple steps to reduce needless unnecessary vehicle idling:

1. Reduce warm-up idling - start driving after no more than 30 seconds of idling, assuming your vehicle’s windows are clear. Excessive idling is not good for your engine.

2. Turn it off after 10 seconds - turn your engine off if you are going to be stopped for more than 10 seconds, except in traffic.

3. Minimize use of remote car starters - these devices encourage you to start your vehicle before you are ready to leave, which means wasteful idling.

4. Use a block heater - in temperatures below 0C, use this device to warm up the engine before starting your vehicle. This will improve fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust emissions.

5. Spread the word - talk to your family, friends and neighbours about the benefits of reduced idling. Encourage them to join you in saving money, protecting the environment and contributing to a healthier community.

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