Idle Free Pledge Campaign

 

The Issue

People idle vehicles for many reasons. One such reason is a popular belief that it is better for your vehicles engine to leave it running, rather than stopping and starting in what would usually be considered as short periods (such as a drive-thru waiting period). Other people want to keep the temperature of the vehicle cabin warm,  or de-fog up the windows.


For whatever the reason, idling vehicles burns fuel unnecessarily. There are many vehicle idling myths out there today that you can help bust. Reducing vehicle idling will help contribute to decreasing carbon dioxide emissions, (a green house gas that is rapidly increasing in our atmosphere which scientist believe is causing climate change), and other emissions that create air pollution conditions like smog.

Use the project ideas and action steps below to start a campaign or enhance current environmental efforts at your school. Or just read on to learn more information about the truth behind idling.

 

Project Overview

The goal of this project is to spread awareness and provide reminders for people to shut-off their engines.
Spend time before and after classes talking to parents, staff, and students driving up to the school about the Idle Free Surrey! goal of reducing the impacts of vehicle idling in Surrey communities.


Initiate conversation with community members by offering:

  • information sheets,
  • window decals,
  • key chains
  • and lollipops

These are all fun reminders that people can take with them. Hand out informational “tickets” to those idling vehicles that catch your eye around school grounds.  Ask people that you are in discussion with to sign a pledge to commit to reduce vehicle idling.
This type of one on one interaction sends a clear message to the community that cutting the engine when parked anywhere – but especially around school grounds - is an important issue.

Send in your story to HASTE, The Hub for Action on School Transport Emissions, and your school can apply to receive up to 4 Idle Free signs.

Plan for Action


Organizing the campaign

1. Get together a group of students who want to help spread the word that your school is an Idle Free Zone.


2. Contact your environmental club or student council. Let them know about the campaign and your plan for outreach. Teacher sponsors may be able to assist you with your campaign.


3. Select dates and times in a calendar month that can be designated for outreach. (Before school or after is the best time)


Getting it off the ground

1. Contact the staff at Your U-turn to arrange for materials to be dropped of at the career department at your school.


2. Use the tool-kit below to download items such as the pledge sheets and anti-idling tickets.


3. Collected pledges can be passed on to Your U-turn staff. The amount of pledges that you have collected will be featured on the Your U-turn Action Project Map.


4. To apply for up to 4 anti-idling signs for your school, sign-up on The Hub for Action for School Transport Emissions. Then, fill out this form that asks you to describe your schools environmental action project.

**Schedule an Idle Free workshop at your school by contacting Your U-turn for registration. We will provide an hour workshop designed to help you run an anti-idling campaign at your school. **

Contact:
Sherese Johnson
sherese@youruturn.org">sherese@youruturn.org
Telephone: 604-872-6051

Tool-kit

To access the Surrey Idle Free pledge action project resources, registe