Idle Reduction in Schools
Globalnewswire reports that Detroit has been named the MOST challenging place to live in the United States with asthma.
AAFA's 2022 Asthma Capitals™ Report Lists Most Challenging
This is because Detroit has high levels of air pollution. Causes of air pollution are industrial emission, indoor air pollution, and transporation such as driving or idling cars and trucks. Idling is when you leave your car running when not in use.
Detroit has record absenteeism in schools due to pollution related illnesses and poor air quality in schools (Let’s find a source) with more than . There are reports that state the start of school is the worse month for students with“ around 25% of asthma-related hospital stays in children happening in September.” (“AAFA's 2022 Asthma Capitals™ Report Lists Most Challenging”) This was a clear call to action for Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision.
We are partnering with the Michigan Environmental Council on a Bus Idling in School project. The goal of the pilot project is to bring awareness to students, teachers and parents about air quality, the effects of pollution, and also reduce our direct impact by idling reduction or participate in an anti-idling campaign during drop-off, pick-up, and another other places where parents may idle. We are working with Salinas Elementary, Salinas intermediate, and Holy Redeemer Grade School to reduce idling by parents. In October, SDEV conducted car counts in all of the schools to gain an understanding of parent traffic, collected data and information (What does this mean? What information?) from the schools. SDEV found that parents are idling at 30% during drop off and pick up.
Since poor air quality, that are cause by their parents idling adjacent to schools and schools doors is directly affecting student. We are arming them with information and tools to combat and engage their communities.
Below are our initial findings on our car counts and school observations and partner toolkit resources.
A Conversation About Our Air
Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision has partner with Holy Redeemer to engage the community. We have started exciting conversations with parents and students on how to combat idling. Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision has held workshops with parents and students to introduce air quality and what pollution does to the community. We are currently building out a contest for students to submit their call to action for idle reduction.
Tool Kits
Environmental Protection Agency
Sustainable America
U.S. Department of Energy