With today’s engine technology, it makes sense to turn off your car engine when your car is standing idle for 10 seconds.
Why? because it only takes about a thimble full of gas to start an engine with fuel injection technology, which is used in nearly every car built since about 1990. And while more frequent use of the ignition might cause some wear-and-tear, the gas you’ll save far outweighs the maintenance cost.
It may seem excessive to turn your car off at every stoplight. In some states, shutting off your engine while in street traffic is frowned upon. But there’s little debate that it’s a good idea to turn off the motor when waiting for a train or drawbridge, reading the map, picking up kids from school or waiting in line at the drive-through.
Break an old idling habit, and you can save about a tank of gas—around ten gallons—over the course of a year. But even better, you’ll cut pollution that harms our lungs and hearts—and even our brains.
We’ve long known that exposure to tailpipe pollution can trigger an asthma attack or make it harder to breathe for people with lung disease. But now we also know that pollution can actually increase the chance of developing asthma, increase risk of lung infections, interfere with the development of children’s lungs and increase risk of heart attacks and stroke. New studies also suggest that people who live near highways have greater risk of dementia.
$180. That’s the fine Oregon truck drivers could pay for allowing a heavy-duty engine to idle for more than five minutes in an hour. Why? Because diesel exhaust is especially toxic. Anti-idling fines are one solution to cut pollution; but what if all heavy duty diesel engines were as much as 95% cleaner? There’s a plan in the works in the 2017 legislative session! See more about Oregon’s Senate Bill 1008.
Oregon is about to make some big transportation decisions that will affect us for decades. Unfortunately, lawmakers are starting from a framework that falls dramatically short on what we need. We need fair funding, accountability, and more robust investments in safety, transit, and pollution reduction.
Tell your legislators that the stakes are too high to settle for less.
Today, 100+ Oregonians are rallying in Salem to deliver a message shared by more than a thousand during a legislative listening tour last summer – public and active transportation is equally important no matter where you live in Oregon.
Making laws is complicated – and that can be a good thing. Good public policy – which OEC has championed from the beginning – requires thinking through how a program will be carried out as well as what resources will be needed to make it successful.
PFAS are called “forever chemicals” for a reason: once they’re in the environment, they stick around – causing harm for generations. This group of synthetic chemicals are added to products to deflect heat, grease, and water. But, instead of helping, these toxic chemicals are cau
Sometimes big-impact solutions to the climate crisis can feel beyond our control – other times they’re right within reach, like upgrading our homes and buildings. This Q&A with Brad Reed, Director of Building Resilience, highlights how we can transform our homes and communities into climate-resilient havens. From heat pumps to insulation, Brad explains how basic upgrades can protect our health and our communities, while also saving money on
There’s a big problem happening in our transportation system today, and it’s been decades in the making. The Oregon Department of Transportation is facing a $1.8 billion deficit. If this is not met, ODOT staff have sai
What comes to mind when you hear the word “EV”? Sleek, shiny sedans plugged into charging stations across the urban landscape? Monochromatic motor vehicles whirring down the highway in near silence? The clean future of commuter culture?If “rugged terrain,” “agriculture”, and “farm work” aren’t words that spring to mind, you aren’t alone. But OEC – and plenty of others – envision a future for electric vehicles that
The Story of PFAS
PFAS (Per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) or ‘forever chemicals’ are a class of over 15,000 toxic chemicals. Members of this chemical class feature the strongest chemical bond known to organic chemistry- the carbon fluorine bond. This incredible chemical bond leads to properties like not reacting with other substances- including an ability to repel grease, oil, and water. In this story, chemical manufacturers wanted to give their products these properties, such as