CarbonCurb Action 27
If idling for 10 seconds or more, turn off the car.
Ignoring emissions while the wheels are rolling, the 250 million personal vehicles in the United States emit over 27 million metric tons of CO2 just while idling. Car manufacturers and vehicle manuals recommend avoiding idling. Your car's catalytic converter, which reduces air pollution from your vehicle, operates sooner after starting if the car is driven rather than left to idle. Furthermore, the batteries and starters in today's vehicles are designed to handle being turned on and off. Generally speaking, if you are going to be stationary for more than 10 seconds, you will save fuel by turning your car off. Hybrid vehicles and vehicles with stop-start technology already do this. There are situations when idling is unavoidable or unsafe, such as in stop-go traffic, or if it is an extremely cold day and you need to defrost your windows. Just do your best to not idle, and the planet will thank you. If you commit to Action 27 and cut your idling time in half, the impact will be:
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Annual Savings:
40 kg CO2e
0.3% of your emissions
Adopt Action 27:
Success!