Regional District Okanagan Similkameen 101 Martin St. Penticton, BC V2A 5J9. Implementing an Idle-Free School Zone

Transcription

1 Regional District Okanagan Similkameen 101 Martin St. Penticton, BC V2A 5J9 Implementing an Idle-Free School Zone Together we can take action against climate change and improve our air quality! Suggested Campaign Details PAC committees are encouraged to take a leading role in implementing idle-free school zones. The following information has been approved by the School District Office. Informational Handouts The Regional District Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) will supply all the required informational handouts. Samples of the handouts (brochures) are included. The handouts are distributed by PAC and/or parent volunteers to those who are driving students to and from school. It is effective that during the first week of the program parent volunteers are out each morning and afternoon to distribute the handouts and ask those idling to turn off and to thank drivers who are not idling. During the following weeks; one or two days are sufficient. Banner The RDOS will also print a banner that could be hung on the school auditorium wall or in a hallway. PAC and the school principal would determine the theme and size. Attached is a sample from the Uplands School Idle-Free School Campaign (see page 3). Classroom Participation RDOS will print and put together information packages for each classroom and teacher, upon receiving the number of students in each class. Each school package will contain colour handouts of a vehicle idling for the teacher to give out and each student can write a comment about idling (see page 4). The colored sheets can be hung around the banner to display during the campaign, as was done at Uplands School (see page 3). The package includes a question and answer sheet on idling and energy efficiency (see page 5) and a tip sheet with energy and emission reductions ideas (see page 6). Students would bring home the sheet, and each day for a week the family would answer one question from each category. Each morning teachers would ask the question of the day to the students. The sheets would be distributed on Monday and returned to school on Friday. 1

2 Assembly Participation Weekly quiz questions have been developed to be asked to students at assemblies (see page 7). A prize would be given to the student who answers correctly. Prizes supplied by the RDOS include cloth bags, fridge magnets, pencils, Frisbees, window decals, etc. Newsletters A PAC member or the Principal is encouraged to include a friendly reminder in the school newsletter to turn off vehicles when driving students to and from school. RDOS will ideas and graphics that can be reduced to the appropriate size for the newsletter (see page 8). Signage Metal anti-idling signs are also available (max. of 4 per school) from Haste BC ( to permanently display as a visual reminder (see page 9). If there is room by the school parking lot, the RDOS would provide free of charge a magnetic sign for one month to help kick start the campaign. The RDOS would order the display once the PAC and the school principal determined the wording (see page 3). Laminated signs to place in the school s front entrance and in your school windows are also included in the package (see page 11). Other Materials Older students can make banner flags to distribute and to wave during the kick off of the campaign or all students can make their own as an art project, as was done at Uplands school (see page 3 and 10) Uplands Elementary School started their campaign during Earth Week in April and ended the campaign with a day of kite flying on National Clean Air Day (always the first Wednesday in June, during Canadian Environment Week). The RDOS ordered the kites from BC Lung Association, and each class took a turn going outside with two students per kite taking turns. The kite flying was in celebration of the efforts to maintain clean air at school. Campaigns can be run any time during the year. There are advertising funds available to the PAC. If your school and your PAC committee are interested in conducting an Idle-Free School Zone campaign at your school or would like more information, please give the RDOS Air Quality Program Coordinator a call. Thank you, Janice Johnson RDOS Air Quality Program Coordinator Toll ext janicejohnson@rdos.bc.ca 2

3 Uplands

4 4

5 Be a Climate Action Champion! Put this question sheet on your fridge and answer 1 question from each of the categories below every morning or night for one week of school. Check your answers using the Climate Action Tips/Answers sheet (see over). Ask a parent or other adult to work with you to complete the form. You ll be helping them reduce vehicle emissions, improve air quality, reduce energy use, and save money! Air Quality Questions Yes No See Tip # Day 1 Do you walk, bike, or take public transportation whenever possible? 1 Day 2 Does your family use gas powered tools such as lawnmowers, leaf 2 blowers and trimmers? Day 3 Does your family have a wood stove in your home? 3 Day 4 Does your family burn garbage or yard waste? 4 Day 5 Do vehicle emissions produce Ozone? 5 Bonus! Do you have any trees near your home? 6 Bonus! Do you know what a temperature inversion is? 7 Bonus! Do you know when National Clean Air Day is? 8 Fuel Efficiency Questions Yes No See Tip # Day 1 Do your parents check their vehicle s tire pressure regularly? 9 Day 2 Does your family use a remote car starter? 10 Day 3 Does your family make many short trips instead of one trip? 11 Day 4 In the winter, does your family idle the vehicle for more than seconds to warm it up? Day 5 Does driving at 90 km use less fuel than driving at 100 km an hour? 13 Bonus! Do your parents have their vehicle serviced regularly? 14 Vehicle Idling Questions Yes No See Tip # Day 1 Does you family allow the vehicle to idle when it is parked? 15 Day 2 Does your family idle their vehicle in drive thru lineups? 16 Day 3 Is it true that idling helps my car engine warm up quicker? 17 Day 4 Do your parents idle their car when they drop you off or pick you up at 18 school? Day 5 Does your family fuel up their vehicle in the evening? 19 Bonus! Are you and your family going to try to reduce greenhouse gas 20 emissions? Energy Efficiency Questions Yes No See Tip # Day 1 Does your family turn off the computer when they are not using it? 21 Day 2 Do you turn off the lights on when you leave a room? 22 Day 3 When you turn off electronics do they still use energy? 23 Day 4 Do you turn up the heat when you re cold? 24 Day 5 Does your house have low flow shower heads? 25 Bonus! Are you taking action to improve energy efficiency and reduce waste? 26 5

6 Climate Action Tips/Answers Codes: This is an activity young people can do alone. Young people should ask for help with this activity and remind their families to do this activity. Only adults should undertake these greenhouse gas and emission reduction activities. Tip # Actions you can take for Air Quality and Climate Change! 1. By walking, biking, and taking public transportation you reduce air pollution. Every action makes a difference! 2. Trade your gas powered tools in for electric ones. Electric tools emit fewer harmful pollutants as gas powered tools. You can also use a rake or push mower to clean up your yard. 3. If you have a wood stove, be sure it is high efficiency, and is CSA or EPA certified! Only burn dry, seasoned hardwood in small pieces and in small, hot fires. See the videos at click on air quality then click on Wood Heating. 4. NEVER burn paper waste, plastic or any garbage or yard waste! Not in a woodstove, campfire or anywhere! Burning releases toxic chemicals directly into the air we breathe. Instead properly dispose of garbage, recycle, and compost. 5. Vehicle engine emissions create ground level ozone. Ozone is a respiratory irritant, and the Okanagan has high levels of ground level ozone. Walk and ride your bike whenever you can to reduce vehicle use. 6. If you can, plant native trees and vegetation around your home. As trees grow, they absorb large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and they act as sinks, storing it in their tissue. 7. Celebrate Clean Air Day on June 3 rd, 2009, part of Canadian Environment Week. You can celebrate by kite flying or Visit Cherry Lane as there are numerous Environment Displays to visit and door prizes to enter until Sunday June 7 th. 8. Temperature inversions are stable layers of warm air that trap cold air on the ground, which is common in valleys in the Okanagan. This warm air acts like the lid of a pot not letting the cold air and pollution escape! 9. Measure your tire pressure at least once a month. Driving your vehicle with just one tire underinflated by 56 kpa (8 psi) will increase your fuel consumption by 4%. 10. Avoid using a remote car starter. These devices encourage you to start your vehicle before you re ready to leave, resulting in needless idling and wasted fuel. 11. Plan your trips so you can do more in one trip. You will reduce unnecessary greenhouse gases and pollution, and also save gas, money, and time! >>> Over >>> 12. Reduce warm up idling even in the coldest winter days you can drive away after only 30 seconds. The best way to warm your vehicle up is to drive it slowly. Using a block heater in temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius will also help warm up your engine faster. 13. Yes, driving at 90 km per hour rather than 100 km per hour reduces fuel consumption by 10% 14. Service your vehicle or check all components regularly. Have a professional check for poor wheel alignment, uneven tire wear, and brake drag that can increase both fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. 15. Turn it off! 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting again. 16. Turn it off! Instead of inching up to the vehicle in front, turn the vehicle off and wait until the driver person has gone through. Or get your family to park and go inside. 17. No, with today s vehicle engines the best way to warm it up is to drive it! Idling increases residue in the engine, resulting in an incomplete combustion cycle and condensation of unburned fuel on cylinder walls. This contaminates your engine! 18. Never let your vehicle idle at school! Even if you only plan to stop quickly at school, let your parents know they should always turn off the engine. 19. It is better to fill up a vehicle with fuel in the early morning or in the evening when it s cooler. 20. Reduce your emissions as much as you can! This will reduce the impacts of climate change, and improve local air quality. Don t forget to spread the word by telling other people what you have learned about reducing emissions! 21. Turning your computer on and off takes less energy than leaving it on and the screen uses 60% of the total power so don t forget to turn that off too! 22. Always turn off the lights when you leave a room! Even if you leave for a few minutes, turn them off! Ask your teachers if you can turn off class lights at lunch hour, recess or on sunny days. 23. Yes! Electronics keep using power even when they re turned off. You can reduce your energy use by unplugging electronics when they are not being used. 24. Put on a sweater rather than turning up the heat! If you lower your heat 2 degree Celsius for 8 hours a day, you can save around 5% on your heating costs! In the summer, close blinds during the day, open windows at night and use a fan instead of air conditioning whenever you can. 25. Reduce your family s water use by 20-40% with low flow shower heads, so you will use less hot water and save energy! 26. Get involved in a climate change initiative! There are so many easy things you can do. Need Ideas? Get your class to have a garbage free lunch week or month! Tell your parents to visit for home energy upgrades with cash rebates. Hang your clothes to dry instead of using the dryer. Even playing outside is a great idea! 6

7 Questions for Assemblies Keep the Idle-Free Campaign going all year-round! These air quality and climate change quiz questions can be asked at the beginning of assemblies, and students answering correctly can be given prizes provided by the RDOS. How can you reduce pollution on your way to school? Examples include walking, cycling, carpooling, taking the bus, etc. When you turn off electronics do they still use energy? Yes! Unplug unused electronics to save energy Is it true that idling helps warm up car engines faster? No, with today s vehicle engines the best way to warm it up is to drive it! Do vehicle emissions produce ground level Ozone? Yes! What is bad about ground level ozone? It is a respiratory irritant, so it is bad for your lungs! Why is it bad to burn garbage? Because burning releases toxic chemicals directly into the air we breathe. Do you know when the next National Clean Air Day is? June 3 rd, How do trees help reduce pollution? What is one way to reduce the amount of garbage you make? True or false: Burning 1 litre of gasoline produces 2.3 kg of carbon dioxide? If your parents are dropping you off at school, should they turn off their car? Why should you put on a sweater rather than turn up the heat in your home? Is it better to turn your computer off or just use a screen saver? How can you save energy when doing laundry? Why is it better to use a rake then a leaf blower to clean up your yard? What is one easy way to save energy in your classroom? How can you reduce energy and water in the kitchen? If you are at a drive through, how can you prevent idling? What uses less water, a shower or a bath? As trees grow, they take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and they act as sinks, storing it in their tissue. Recycle, compost, bring reusable containers for your lunch, buy products with less packaging, etc. TRUE! Walk, cycle or take the bus whenever you can to reduce your emissions! Yes! Even if you only plan to stop shortly tell them to ALWAYS turn off the engine. Lowering your heat at home can save energy! For every 2 degree Celsius, you can reduce energy uses for heating by 5%. Turning your computer on and off takes less energy than leaving it on and the screen uses 60% of the total power so turn that off too! Always wash clothes in cold water and hang them to dry. By using a rake you prevent the release of harmful pollutants that come from gas powered tools. Example: Ask the teacher if you can turn off the lights at lunch time or on sunny days. Examples: Only run a full dishwasher, fix leaky taps, reuse water from washing vegetables to water plants, etc. Get your family to park and go inside or turn the car off until the person ahead of you has gone through. Showering for less than 10 minutes uses less water. 7

8 NEWSLETTER NOTES BELOW ARE FRIENDLY REMINDERS FOR YOUR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER Now that your school is an idle-free zone, you can reduce emissions even more by walking and biking to school! Turn the key Spare our air Be idle Free! When picking up and dropping off your children, remember to always turn off your engine! Idling in high pedestrian areas like schools increases Ground level ozone which is a respiratory pollutant. By keeping your school idle free you are helping children s health! Myth: It s good for an engine to idle FACT: Idling reduces engine life by up to 20% and wastes natural resources. Myth: Idling helps my engine warm up FACT: With today s engines the best way to warm it up is to drive slowly Did you know that idling leads to more rapid engine contamination? Go idle free to help your engine! Children's lungs are less developed, and therefore more susceptible to poor air quality. Thanks for keeping our our school zone idle free. Keep up the great work! 8

9 9

10 10

11 11