Schools Are Not Drive-Thrus idle-free school campaign, 2022-2023

Step 1: introductory session conducted 10/10/22 and Green Team prepares campaign against vehicle emissions

 

Step 2: initial data collection conducted for three days at school afternoon dismissal on 11/18, 11/21, 11/22

Average temperature: 63 degrees

Total vehicles observed: 28; total vehicles idling: 25 (89%); total hours of idling: 2.1

Amount of fuel consumed*: .9 gal/three days / .3 gal/per day average

Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 175 day school year: 53 gal (188 gallons relative to number of

vehicles observed, initial vs final measuring)

Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 175 day school year: 1,053 lbs**

 

Step 3: school supports idle-free campaign: School Principal message to the school community, 2/13/23

 

Step 4: driver contact event: 4/21 and 4/24, and school installs two idle-free zone signs

 

Step 5: final data collection conducted for three days at school afternoon dismissal on 5/31, 6/1, 6/2

Average temperature: 62 degrees  FINAL DATA COLLECTION DETAILS

Total vehicles observed: 100; total vehicles idling: 19 (19%); total hours of idling: 1.86

Amount of fuel consumed*: .8 gal/three days / .266 gal/per day average

Amount of fuel consumed annually (est.) - based on 175 day school year: 47 gal (141 gallon reduction relative to number of vehicles observed, initial vs final measuring)

Amount of CO2 emissions annually (est.) - based on 175 day school year: 931 lbs** (2,829 lbs. CO2 emissions reduction relative to number of vehicles observed, initial vs final measuring)

 

BEFORE & AFTER IDLING DIFFERENCE: 75% REDUCTION

 

*Amount of fuel consumed based on passenger vehicle — car/SUV/pickup truck — idling consumption of 0.43 gal/hr.

**Amount of CO2 emitted based on one gallon of fuel consumed equaling 20 pounds of CO2 emitted (gasoline - 19.64 pounds; diesel - 22.38 pounds)

 

COMMENTS: Three pick up areas monitored. For initial data collection, the low number of vehicles observed can be attributed to measuring

during Thanksgiving week. If initial data collection matched the 100 vehicles in final data collection, the annual difference in gas

consumed would be 188 gallons; in CO2 emitted it would be 3.763 lbs. (1.88 tons).

 

"With the help of Wayne Michaud, the Carlmont High School Green Team conducted the Idle-Free school zones initiative to great success during the 2022-2023 school year. Co-President of the club at the time, I had been searching for a meaningful, hands-on project that our club could focus our efforts on. A project that would not only serve as a good introduction to environmental work for our 20+ club members (many of whom were new to activism or did not know exactly what environmental work could look like), but also create lasting change for our school in the process. Both of these considerations were found through the Idle-Free campaign.

 

With two tiny parking lots chock-full of antsy parents hoping to beat the rush-hour traffic, our school had been a hot spot of pickup-time car idling for years. After educating our club members on this issue and providing them with the observational materials provided by Mr. Michaud, our Team took to the lots at school dismissal and gathered data on the extent of emissions produced by idling. In subsequent weeks, we informed parents of our findings and posted flyers around campus encouraging non-idling. To wrap up the campaign, we collected data following the parental outreach and worked with school administration to put up permanent Idle-Free signs in both parking lots.

 

As stated before, our campaign was a major success! We reached a 75% reduction in emissions caused by idling, strengthened our club’s ties to school administration, and saw increased engagement from our club members / interest in undertaking further sustainable initiatives. I really hope that more schools across California are able to emulate Carlmont and implement the Idle-Free campaign on their campuses!"

 

- Aran O’Sullivan – former Carlmont High School Green Team Co-President, current undergraduate at UCLA.

 

CARLMONT HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL COMMENT, October 2023:

[Re: idle-free school campaign at Carlmont High School, 2022-2023 school year] "I am so proud of the Carlmont Green Team for their work with Green Driving America. The Green Team is a 100% student organized and student led club on our campus. The students took the initiative last year to work with Green Driving America on the Idle Free Zone campaign. The students did action research and counted cars at drop off and pick up that sit on our campus in idle. Thanks to their efforts, we were able to publish some data out to our campus community about the impact of idling in cars while waiting. We now have two Idle Free Zones on campus. In addition, their work with Green Driving America in general, and with Idle Free Zones in particular, laid the groundwork for the Green Team to explore other community focused organizations to improve the environmental sustainability of our campus. We are currently working with another non-profit on building more green spaces on campus, that serve pollinators, and even that produce herbs, fruits and greens to donate to local community pantries."

 

- Ms. Gay Buckland-Murray, principal, Carlmont High School, Belmont, CA

 

April 30, 2024: Wayne Michaud, Green Driving America Inc. Executive Director, and Gay Buckland-Murray, Carlmont High School principal, were presented with a San Mateo County Office of Education's Sustainable and Climate Ready Schools Challenge award for the school's idle-free campaign effort.

STEP 1: Green Team prepares campaign against vehicle emissions

STEP 3: School Principal message to the school community, 2/13

 

STEP 4: Driver Contact Event, 4/21 & 4/24

IDLE-FREE ZONE SIGNS INSTALLED