I know gas prices are coming DOWN TO $3.90 a gallon, but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying to be gas efficient! Now I'm not saying that your kids need to walk to school and back, every day, in three feet of snow up hill, but I am saying that there are ways that even driving a carpool can be more efficient.
One of the biggest ways is to stop idling. I know we all want a good parking spot at the end of the school day and that you have to get to school by 3:10 to even get close to the school entrances. But once there, all we do is wait. Not a bad thing if you have a good book. But a not so good thing if your car is running for 30 minutes.
I have done some research and found that every 30 minutes of idling costs more than three-tenths of a gallon of gas if your vehicle has an eight-cylinder engine. I know, your dad said restarting your car is ‘bad’, but with the newer cars they are making, they are made to handle the abuse.
The Utah PTA this year passed a resolution that the schools should be an idle free zone. I know it is so easy to just leave the car, with your kids in it, to run a forgotten lunchbox or homework. But not only is it bad for the environment, but it is an invitation to thieves. And do you want your kids running out of school and into a cloud of exhaust! YUCK!
I encourage everyone to stop and park their car. Who knows, if you get out and visit…you might just make the stranger in the car next to you your friend!
Ps-I want to thank all of those who worked so hard on making BOTH back to school nights a success! The excitement over t-shirts design, the Reflections theme (‘WOW!’), and the fundraiser was very encouraging!
