Today’s everyday activism idea comes from the Union of Concerned Scientists’ January ’07 edition of Greentips, “Idling Gets You Nowhere”. In two words: idling, bad!

But I’ll let them explain:

Would you drive a car that gets zero miles to the gallon? Of course not. Yet that is your mileage whenever your engine idles. Idling wastes money and fuel, contributes to air pollution, and generates carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming. Some states even have laws limiting the amount of time cars can idle (see the related links).[...]

Unfortunately, many people believe that idling is necessary or even beneficial—a false perception that has carried over from the 1970s and 1980s, when engines needed time to warm up (especially in colder temperatures). Fuel-injection vehicles, which have been the norm since the mid-1980s, can be restarted frequently without engine damage and need no more than 30 seconds to warm up even on winter days.

In fact, idling longer than that could actually damage your engine in the long term. Because an idling engine is not operating at its peak temperature‚ the fuel does not completely combust, leaving residues in the engine that can contaminate engine oil and make spark plugs dirty. Excessive idling also allows water to condense in the vehicle’s exhaust, contributing to corrosion of the exhaust system.

No matter what time of year, minimize your idling with the following tips:

* When first starting your car, idle for no more than 30 seconds.

* Except when sitting in traffic, turn your engine off if you must wait in your car for more than 30 seconds. You can still operate the radio and windows without the engine running.

* When the time comes to buy a new car, consider a hybrid. Hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles switch off the engine and use battery power for accessories when the car is not moving, effectively eliminating idling. Visit the UCS Hybrid Center website for more information on these fuel-efficient, low-emission vehicles.

There ya go.

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Tagged: environment environmental environmentalist environmentalism climate+change global+warming ucs union+of+concerned+scientists greentips everyday+activism driving

Getcher free endangered wildlife ringtones here!

Errr, wait. That sounded a bit too giddy, especially since we’re talking about endangered wildlife here. Let’s try this again.

Via the Center for Biological Diversity, download a free endangered wildlife ringtone. Personalize your cell phone, and when friends and strangers inquire about your wild taste, use the opportunity to educate ‘em about the plight of the Blue-throated Macaw or the importance of the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Since now is as good a time as any, consider this the first in an ongoing series of “everyday activism” posts. “Everyday activism” = quick, simple, non-taxing actions y’all can take when out and about to advance animal-friendly and green causes. In this case, downloading an endangered species ringtone will take you all of 30 seconds – but will provide you countless opportunities to introduce the issue to those you encounter throughout the day. I was going to begin with a post about getting more AR literature into your public library, but – *shrug* – the ringtones thing is good too!

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Tagged: animals animal+rights environment environmental environmentalism environmentalist center+for+biological+diversity ringtone cell cell+phone wildlife endangered+species conservation activism everyday+activism