 Wellesley Public Schools, Health Department, Climate Action Committee, Natural Resources Commission and Police Department as well as Wellesley Green Schools and Sustainable Wellesley invite the community to Pledge With Me To Go Idle Free!
Starting April 6th during National Public Health Week, you will see signs, volunteers and other promotions asking drivers to turn off their engines while in school carlines as idling is unhealthy, expensive and illegal. Unhealthy Did you know that more than 30% of Wellesley's greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation? Monitoring at schools has shown elevated levels of benzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and other air toxins during the afternoon hour coinciding with student pick-up. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that these air toxins from idling emissions are known to cause cancer, respiratory effects like asthma and other serious health effects. The US Dept. Of Energy adds that vehicle emissions are more concentrated near the ground, where children breathe. And not only can auto exhaust from idling pollute the air in and around vehicles; it can also enter school buildings through air intakes, doors and windows. This is especially dangerous to children because their developing lungs have a smaller surface area and a higher inhalation rate (can be over 3x that of adults), which means greater exposure and potentially permanent damage to lung function. Expensive Idling is also expensive. From passenger cars to heavy-duty trucks, the US Dept. of Energy estimates that more than 6 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel combined are lost to idling every year. Even when gas prices were at $2 per gallon, that wasted fuel translated into more than $11 billion annually. Now, with higher gas prices, this means idling is wasting even more money. Illegal Idling can also cost you money in fines. In Wellesley, there is a $15 fine for idling which is modeled after the state's anti-idling fine which can cost up to $100 for the first offense and up to $500 for each subsequent offense. Please reconsider habits and try something new! Pledge With Me to Go Idle Free!  “What‘s happening is a crime – a crime against all of our citizens, young and old, and a crime against our planet,” said Wellesley's Chief of Police Jack Pilecki in regards to the environmental crisis in his PSA a few years ago.
Wellesley's very own "Green Police Chief" Jack Pilecki will retire on June 30. His commitment to sustainability went well beyond the station's water hydration station and reusable water bottles. Chief Pilecki added hybrid and electric cruisers to the fleet; installed an electric charging station; took on idling at the schools; installed a bike repair station at the police station; and encouraged his officers to participate in the Rules of the Ride youth biking event. We wish the Chief all the best in retirement and congratulate the new Chief of Police, Scott Whittemore. We look forward to more emissions reduction opportunities with Chief Whittemore, a Wellesley native and 28-year veteran of WPD.  As the weather gets warmer, consider turning off your engine while waiting in car line or elsewhere. Idling is especially dangerous around schools because children are highly susceptible to air pollution from car exhaust. Children's developing lungs have a smaller surface area and a higher inhalation rate (can be over 3x that of adults), which means greater exposure and potentially permanent damage to lung function.
Either way, idling is expensive and illegal. Please join your community in saying "Idle No More in 2024!"  Yes, the UN's Intergovernmental Committee on Climate Change report was not what we wanted to hear. Are you ready to do something about it? Taking actions (big and small) will improve your mood.
Here are 3 upcoming events you can help out with. One will surely be something you care about. Space is limited so sign up soon. (we couldn't resist). 1) Food waste: Sign up here to help out on April 29th and May 6th. A group of us (all ages) will be at the Recycling and Disposal Facility (RDF...aka "dump") sharing the news about Wellesley's free food waste (bones too!) program. We will be handing out free food waste collection starter kits to residents to put in their kitchens in an effort to increase food waste diversion from residential trash. Collecting food waste separately keeps it out of a landfill and creates clean energy; furthermore, it’s easy. 2) Idling: Sign up here to help out with Wellesley's Go Idle Free in 2023 initiative. Starting the week of April 25th, Wellesley Green Schools, the Wellesley Police Department and other parents and students will walk car lines (before they start moving at school dismissal time) at all Wellesley Public Schools asking drivers to take a pledge to Go Idle Free in 2023! We now know that over 30% of Wellesley's GHG emissions come from transportation and that 30% of Wellesley's traffic is school-related. 3) Electric Vehicles (EV): Help out with the upcoming EV Test Drive and Showcase event on Thursday May 11, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. (rain date: Wednesday May 17). We are starting to collect names of folks willing to 1)showcase their electric vehicle and 2) help the day of at the good vibes, fun event. Please email [email protected] if you are interested in helping out at the event. Stay tuned for more information on details of event for those that want to participate.  Temps may be dropping but that doesn't mean we should be idling.  Spring is here and its a good time to remind our community that idling is against the law, wastes fuel, and is bad for our health.
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