Baby step: supporting 'Idle Free Zones' at schools

This is a thing of beauty. It's civil. It's brief. It's persuasive. And it was just included in our school's weekly e-newsletter:

Just a reminder from the Green Team about drop offs and pick-ups. We know it’s chilly out there lately, but please remember to turn off your engine. Idling your engine causes pollution and actually wastes more gas than restarting your car. Children are particularly susceptible to harm from exhaust fumes. Check out this environmental website for more facts about idling and pollution: http://www.edf.org/page.cfm?tagID=22292.

There have been a slew of great comments from our last post concerning the persuasiveness of baby steps vs. extreme environmental lifestyles. Yet, I've often wondered if any single soul has noticed the slightly hidden sign that's posted by our school's parking lot:

Irregardless, the baby step approach wins, hands down.

Contrast with my fantasy extreme approach: Picture me or any gung-ho environmental parent walking around a school parking lot, rapping on the windshields of cars that continue to idle with a flag that says "STOP IDLING YOUR FREAKING CAR, ALREADY!" Can you just imagine? That will only offend and anger people. Heck, that might even motivate people to sit there and just rev their engines all day long!

So, if you're hoping to lessen the impact of idling at your school, I suggest you first try asking your school principal if the above paragraph (or something similar) can be included in your school's newsletter. It's guaranteed to be more effective than bonking windshields.

Super school sign: idle free zone!

Without much ado, this sign was posted at our elementary school earlier in the year. I wish it stood out a little more. I wish it had some flashing lights, saying 'Hey! Look at me! I'm talking to YOU!' It's set back about six feet from the sidewalk and parking lot, hanging with the other signs that state the school is a smoke-free zone and that no skateboarding is allowed. But I do like what it says:

• IDLE FREE ZONE
• TURN ENGINE OFF
• Young Lungs at Work

I also wish it had a special robotic arm that would extend out and knock on the windshield of the folks who don't seem to think this message applies to them. But that's just crazy talk. Perhaps they aren't aware of the many hazards of idling a car? Just a friendly little robotic arm tap. Nothing too aggressive.

Kudos to the Portland Office of Transportation for making the sign. I'd love to see one of these babies posted near every playground, school and library in the country. Like most things, if you just make people aware of the issues, they'll probably do the right thing. Baby steps.

Baby step: air out your house!

It seems like cold, gray and rainy weather has hovered over our city for weeks (months, years!!), but now we're experiencing a few sunbreaks. And they are glorious! Can't you just feel the Vitamins D? It doesn't matter that's it's still dang cold out. That wee bit of sun is enough to get kids back outside playing, and fair-weather friends into their walking shoes and/or bike seats. Heck -- my dear husband got up on a ladder this past weekend and cleaned the gutters!

The sun has also prompted me to do something that might seem a tad bit crazy given that it's January. I've opened all the windows and doors. It helps if you work up a good head of steam by vigorously cleaning the house first. Let all that nasty indoor air out, and give your house a giant fresh cleansing breath. Namaste!

I'm far from expert on toxins and indoor air quality, but have learned that indoor air quality is often much worse that what's outside. This time of year, it's probably at it's worst, since we button our houses up tight to keep all the expensive heat inside. Granted, not everyone who reads this is having the sunbreaks like us right now. But keep your eyes to the sky. And give your house a nice airing out the first chance you can get. Let the sun shine in! Your family's lungs will thank you.

(Go figure, as I'm aiming the camera at my sunlit open door, the rechargeable batteries croak. By the time I recharge them, it's rainy and gray again. Sigh. So much for the picture, but hey, it makes me glad I aired out my house earlier!)

What are you burning in your fireplace?

If your Spring is anything like ours in Portland, then baby it's still cold outside. Our heat settings remain unchanged (68 daytime) and it's tempting to start a fire some days, because who doesn't love a fire? I love a fire. The crackling, warm coziness of it, and I think that contrary to many reports on the inefficiency of wood-burning fireplaces, ours actually does make us warmer. Or maybe it's psychological. Regardless, I'm realizing, sadly, that burning just about anything is bad for the air.

Wood is the worst culprit, which is bad news for folks who heat their entire homes with wood-burning fireplaces. In some parts of the country, like New England, it's very common. But after reading about Montreal's proposed ban on burning wood, I wonder if the same may be coming to a city near you. In Montreal they discovered that the air quality was far worse in leafy, suburban areas where most people use wood-burning stoves to heat their homes than in downtown Montreal! Even with all of the transportation and industrial exhaust in the city, you're better off taking deep breaths on a downtown Montreal sidewalk than in the quieter burbs.

Do you purify your air?

It seems like I'm always reading how the air inside our homes is much worse than the air outdoors. I think it has to do with modern construction -- that our homes are much tighter, and air doesn't circulate as well. Also, certain materials like nylon carpets or laminate flooring can be off-gassing, which contributes to nasty air. We can't all afford to rip our homes apart and rebuild with all green materials, so is an air purifier the answer?

First, how do you know you have bad air? Do you have to be suffering or have some sort of reaction to detect the bad air? Or can you have it tested? Secondly, if you have an air purifier has it made a big difference? There are a ton out there, so how do you know what to get? My husband's doctor recommended an air purifier in our bedroom for health reasons, and we've done some cursory research. But it is overwhelming...and expensive! Any insight?

Sound off on air polution in NE Portland -- tomorrow!

Tony from Milagros Boutique sent us an email about potential increased air pollutants coming out of PDX. It seems that Boeing plans to more than double the hazardous emissions of its painting facility. DEQ is holding a public information session tomorrow night and will be seeking input from residents. Tony has more info about it over at Milagros. Here's the meeting info:

Thursday, Sept. 20, at 6:30pm
DEQ Regional Office
2020 SW 4th ave (in CH2MHILL Bldg), 4th floor, room A/B.
More info Contact: Kathy Amidon, Air Quality Program, 503-667-8414 x 55010 or: amidon.kathy@deq.state.or.us