Your school name Air Awareness Week

What is Idling? Idling is letting an engine run when the vehicle isn’t going anywhere, like when you are:

Waiting to pick someone up at school…

Waiting at a drive-through window…

Letting the car ‘warm up’ in the driveway

So, being ‘Idle Free’ means: Turning the engine OFF when you won’t be driving for 10 seconds or more

Why not idle? Idling is bad for everyone’s health Driving warms up an engine faster and better than idling does Eliminating 5 minutes of idling a day can save $30 to $60 a year

Why not idle? Idling is bad for everyone’s health Driving warms up an engine faster and better than idling does Eliminating 5 minutes of idling a day can save $30 to $60 a year

Why not idle? Idling is bad for everyone’s health Driving warms up an engine faster and better than idling does Eliminating 5 minutes of idling a day can save $30 to $60 a year

Why not idle? Idling is bad for everyone’s health Driving warms up an engine faster and better than idling does Eliminating 5 minutes of idling a day can save $30 to $60 a year

Why not idle? It wastes money It gets you no where It’s bad for our lungs

More than 50% of Utah’s air pollution comes from vehicles

Almost ALL of Our Pollution Comes From Burning Fuels 55% cars and trucks 20% large industry 17% commercial 8% household

It’s Especially Bad for Kid’s Lungs Children are outside playing more than adults Children have faster respiratory rates than adults Children breathe in 20% to 50% more air, and more air pollution, than adults

It’s Especially Bad for Kid’s Lungs Children are outside playing more than adults Children have faster respiratory rates than adults Children breathe in 20% to 50% more air, and more air pollution, than adults

It’s Especially Bad for Kid’s Lungs Children are outside playing more than adults Children have faster respiratory rates than adults Children breathe in 20% to 50% more air, and more air pollution, than adults

Do you know someone with asthma?

Over 72,000 Utah kids have asthma about 8% of all Utahns have asthma

Are Asthma and Air Pollution Connected? Air pollution makes asthma worse Evidence suggests that air pollution can cause asthma.

Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children and the cause of most school absences.

Different asthma rates along I-15 corridor

Higher asthma rates along I-15 Utah and national average comparable at 8.5%, though some Utah communities higher rates than average. Source: Utah Department of Health

Higher asthma rates along I-15 ◦ Woods Cross and North Salt Lake – 16.2% ◦ Riverdale and South Ogden – 15.8% ◦ Salt Lake City – 13% ◦ South Ogden – 12.9% Source: Utah Department of Health

What’s going on when the air is bad?

Sometimes our air is clean…

Other days, it’s yucky…

What is air pollution? Air pollution is anything that makes our air dirty or less healthy to breathe.

Where does air pollution come from? 55% cars and trucks 20% large industry 17% commercial 8% household

OZONE Invisible! PM 2.5 Tiny particles that look like a gross blanket over our valley Utah has two basic types of air pollution SUMMERTIMEWINTERTIME

OZONE is good up high…

…and bad down low

Ozone over-exposure can cause: LUNG IRRITATION Wheezing Coughing Pain when taking a deep breath Difficulty breathing when playing outdoors

Ozone over-exposure can cause: LUNG IRRITATION Wheezing Coughing Pain when taking a deep breath Difficulty breathing when playing outdoors

Ozone over-exposure can cause: LUNG IRRITATION Wheezing Coughing Pain when taking a deep breath Difficulty breathing when playing outdoors

Ozone over-exposure can cause: LUNG IRRITATION Wheezing Coughing Pain when taking a deep breath Difficulty breathing when playing outdoors

Ozone over-exposure can cause: LUNG IRRITATION Wheezing Coughing Pain when taking a deep breath Makes it hard to play outside

Winter time pollution: PM 2.5 ‘PM’ stands for Particulate Matter

PM 2.5 Includes tiny things like: ◦ Soot, from chimneys ◦ Exhaust, from tailpipes ◦ Dust, from plowing

When you go up a canyon in the winter, you can see the PM 2.5 below

PM 2.5 is dangerous because it is very small PM 2.5 is so small, it can pass through our lungs, into our blood This is why school kids have to stay in on “Red Air Days”

One of these tiny dots is the size of PM 2.5, compared to a dust particle and human hair

WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? Protect our health Make less pollution

Remember that a lot of Utah’s air pollution comes from vehicles?

Help remind drivers to idle less

If the car isn’t moving for how long? _____ seconds

If the car isn’t moving for how long? Ten seconds of idling uses more gas than turning off and restarting the car 10 seconds

What can we do to help? If possible, ◦ Carpool ◦ Ride a bike ◦ Walk to school Don’t drive, or drive less, especially on bad air days

What can we do to help? Use less energy Turn things off when they’re not in use Most of Utah’s power comes from coal fired power plants

What can we do to help? Know what the air is now:

What can we do to help? Ask your parents and teacher to sign up for air quality alerts by at the same website:

What can we do to help? With your class or family, make a plan for how you’ll protect your health and our air on bad air days at:

You can make a difference Remind drivers to be Idle Free Carpool Walk Bike Don’t go when the air is bad Turn things off when not using Check the air at airquality.utah.gov Get s when the air is bad Then use your plan from breatheutah.org