Idle cars/trucks/buses are the devil's workshop...

I'm happy to announce that I kicked off my "voluntary no-idling" campaign at all Wachovia Banks starting today with a simple phone call! Quit jumping up and down and let me begin by "clearing the air" surrounding idling/turning your engines off and perhaps you will find it in your heart (or I should say lungs) to join me.


Myth:

It takes more fuel to restart than remain idling.

Fact:

Ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it. If you use more fuel, you emit more CO2 (which is the number one greenhouse gas linked to climate change.

Myth:

It is important to warm up the engine.

Fact:

Idling actually causes significantly more wear on the internal parts of a vehicle.

Also, idling produces many more harmful emissions. Over nine minutes, for example, an idling car will emit double the pollutants of a car that is turned off and then restarted.

So here's what you Bettys and Baldwins can do:
1. live consciously: Turn off your engine if you're going to be idle for more than a minute.
2. make a difference: Inform your family and friends about the importance of turning off the engine.
3. make a bigger difference: call 1-704-590-5330 (the Wachovia Customer Listen line - you actually talk to a human being!) and urge them to have a no-idling policy at their drive-thrus. Or consider instituting a voluntary no-idling policy at your son or daughters school (Albemarle County already has this policy in place for their buses - way to go and the city has recently adopted this policy for their fleet as well)

Pass the word on about idling. And we'll all breathe easier!

Peace,
T