Recap of Eastchester’s Green Day Expo

“Hello!” I greet cheerily from behind the friendly and inviting Clean Air NY table at the Eastchester’s Green Day Expo. Amidst the increasingly cloudy grey sky, I receive a hurried glance as the person picks up a Clean Air NY Travel Choice Guide and tip pen. I’m confident that even though he did not stop to chat, he will at least read the informative brochure and learn a thing or two from the tip pen about how he can improve NY’s air quality.

“Hello!” I greet once again, this time aiming my hello a mother of two, casually browsing the vendor tables.

She slows down, makes eye contact, and responds as the first rain drops start to come down, “Hello. Clean Air NY? What are you guys about?”

Yes! Finally a potential Clean Air NY individual partner.

“Well, I’m glad you asked! Clean Air NY is an initiative of the New York State Department of Transportation that works to improve the air quality in the region. We are here to provide you with tips on how you can improve the air quality in the area. We’d also like to sign you up for our Air Quality Action Day Updates. We will send you an e-mail or text message the day before the air quality is predicted to be particularly poor and provide you with some tips on things you can do to help improve the air quality such as taking public transit, carpooling or refueling after dark.”

Intrigued, the concerned mom responds, “Why not? I like clean air and my children have asthma, so it’s definitely an important thing to know. Where do I sign up?” After she signs up, she mentions to me that her family walked to the Green Day Expo since they lived close by. I thanked her for doing her part to improve NY’s air quality.

And thus we have successfully added another name to our growing list of concerned citizens making the commitment to clean air. And it is a win – win – win situation. The new individual partner can leave with a more interesting story to tell her husband about her day involving her heroic attempts to save the world, her children have proof that moms are really superheroes and Clean Air NY get support to continue on our mission to single handedly reverse the negative affects of car emissions – or at the very least to reduce the vehicle miles travelled by single passenger cars in New York.

This very chain of results is why being able to help out with the Clean Air NY program will definitely remain one of my most positive internship experiences. I am left with the genuine feeling that I have made some contribution, however small it may be, to improving the quality of life on this planet. Also, it’s inspiring to see people who are willing to help out where they can, even in the rain, because they realize that in the end it is not about being a citizen of one specific area; it’s about being a world citizen, participating in a movement to reverse the damage that careless use of new technologies has created.

Saving the world is a big job, but I mean someone has to pull out their umbrellas, stick it out and do it, right?

You can sign-up to receive Air Quality Action Day Updates at CleanAirNY.org.

Thea Charles, Clean Air NY/MetroPool summer intern.

Get Some Relief from the Heat of High Gas Prices and Clean Our Air of Excess Pollutants: Dive into Carpooling!

Finally, summer has embraced New York's metro area! It's time for family picnics in parks, outdoor parties, relaxing in hammocks, sports and other exercise outdoors. During the warm summer days, we feel good to be outside and filling our lungs with some fresh air. However, New York's air needs to be healthier.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), New York's downstate region does not meet federal standards for air quality. As indicated by EPA tests, the air has harmful pollutants, a risk not only to sensitive groups, such as people with asthma or emphysema, but to those without health problems. Studies have also shown that pollutants can aggravate symptoms in people with pre-existing conditions, such as heart disease or high blood pressure.

The increasing numbers of people with respiratory problems signal that something is stirring in our air, even if some people do not think there are harmful effects.

Our cars are major contributors to air pollution. Most people believe that a single car is not going to make a difference, so they choose to drive by themselves. But each car that is on the road is releasing pollutants, and too many cars equal air pollution. How do we solve this problem? By jumping into something that some New Yorkers may be wary of - carpooling.

If more of us carpooled to work or to our summer activities, we'd experience some great benefits - fuel bills would be cut; there would be less wear and tear on our cars; there would be fewer cars on the road and, thus, less traffic; passengers would catch up on reading, e-mails or shut-eye; and our air would be healthier.

Some might think the idea of carpooling and not being in control of our own transit would feel like a nuisance. We might fear being at work, far from home and needing to get back home in case of an emergency and having no transportation. That is why your local transportation management association (TMA) offers a guaranteed ride home program that allows employees paid rides in the event that their transportation from work is unavailable. For more information, visit your appropriate TMA's Web site:

• MetroPool for commuters traveling within the Lower Hudson River Valley.
• CommuterLink for commuters traveling in and to New York City.
  
• Long Island Transportation Management (LITM) for commuters traveling in Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island.
  

These organizations also help commuters enter the carpooling system, linking people who want to carpool with others in their area. To find a carpool partner or vanpool in your area, visit www.511ny.org.

When comparing carpooling to driving alone, carpooling is the more environmentally friendly option. High-occupancy vehicle lanes on some major highways allow passenger cars with at least two people to travel amid less congestion. Some people may love the comfort of their own cars for various reasons, but try stepping away from your comfort zone and carpool for the greater good.

Take some relief from the heat of high gas prices and clean up the air that we breathe - it's time to dive into carpooling!

Guest blog by Jessica Wade, Clean Air NY/MetroPool summer intern.

Combine Errands – Combat Air Pollution and Climate Change

There are many terms related to “going green” that some people may not understand. However, saving energy is one concept we all comprehend, not just power or fuel, but your own personal energy.

One way to conserve your own energy is to combine your errands into one car trip. At first glance, this may seem obvious, but it is something that we often neglect to do.
For example, in the past – prior to starting my internship with Clean Air NY – if I had errands to do after work, my exhaustion would get the best of me; since I was ready to get out of my work clothes and high heels and into my yoga sweats, I would bypass the supermarket, the bank and gas station and just head home. Having a car, I could do that. Sound familiar?

It is easy to get caught up in a convenient lifestyle we can enjoy. But it takes just a little extra effort to make those conscious decisions, like holding off on swapping your stilettos for your favorite flip-flops so you can complete a few errands before driving home.

The message at the very heart of Clean Air NY’s mission is that there are little things we can do in our everyday life that do not cost an arm and a leg and that, in fact, will help you save money, time and energy. By combining errands, Clean Air NY’s simplest and most popular call to action, you also can help reduce the harmful effects of climate change. (See picture above of Clean Air NY's bus ad that are running throughout the NY downstate region).

It’s so important to make smart travel choices because the emissions from millions of cars in New York affect you, your family and friends. We should all be concerned about the estimated 370,000 children (NYS Department of Health Asthma Surveillance Summary report, 2005) who can’t breathe properly on Air Quality Action Days because the air quality in the New York metro area is deemed unhealthy for sensitive groups.

Be smart, plan ahead and combine your errands into one car trip. That’s what I’ve started to do after learning the benefits from Clean Air NY.

To find out more about simple changes to your driving habits that can help reduce the harmful effects of climate change, visit CleanAirNY.org.

Guest Blogger: Thea Charles, Clean Air NY/MetroPool summer intern.

Why All Drivers Should Avoid Idling...

Clean Air NY encourages alternatives to driving, promoting healthier air through biking, mass transit and reduced vehicle use. But — sometimes — even the best of us give in to the convenience of a car. When driving, alone or (we hope!) in a carpool or vanpool, you can lower your vehicle’s impact. One easy way is to reduce idling.

We idle anytime we leave the engine running while the car isn’t in use. Many New Yorkers idle based on misinformation regarding fuel consumption and engine wear. We’ve heard that stopping and restarting our car wastes more gas, harms the engine and prevents the car from warming up properly.

But these false assumptions often skim over the negative effects of idling. Our vehicles, our air and our wallets feel the costs on a regular basis:
- In addition to soot and smog-forming particles, idling vehicles produce about 130,000 tons of carbon dioxide each year.
- Fuel cannot combust completely in idling vehicles, so idling engines experience increased corrosion along with general wear-and-tear.
- An idling car or truck can waste between $62 and $529 of gas each year (based on current prices).

Most idling myths don’t hold up with today’s vehicles. Allowing your car to idle for more than 10 seconds actually wastes more fuel than restarting the engine. Idling in cold weather is unnecessary: Cars actually warm up more thoroughly when driven slowly and carefully for the first few minutes. Additional engine use and increased fuel consumption far outweigh the costs of wear-and-tear from restarts.

The good news: Reducing idling is simple and translates to real environmental, health and financial benefits for drivers. Most of us idle without a second thought—in the drive-through lane, at railroad crossings or while waiting to pick up a passenger. By cutting off such habits, you can save gas and improve New York’s air quality.

So stop and think next time you’ll be stopped for a bit. Shut off the engine. Step outside and breathe in the healthier air that you’re helping create.

Interested in learning more?
Idle-Free NYC: http://www.idle-free.info/
Environmental Defense Fund: “Idling Gets You Nowhere” http://www.edf.org/documents/9236_Idling_Nowhere_2009.pdf

For more information on other things you can do to improve NY’s air quality, please visit: http://www.cleanairny.org/DoYourPart/WhatCanIDo.aspx.

Guest Blogger: Sarah Tansey, Clean Air NY/CommuterLink summer intern.

Helping Our Loved Ones by Reducing Air Pollution

Air quality in the New York area really hits home for me. I’ve lived here my entire life. I had my first bout with asthma when I was 12 years old. Now I have a son who is 5 years old. He had his first bout with asthma when he was 2. My daughter just turned 2 years old, and I’m really worried about her. As you can see, I’m a concerned parent.

This past summer, I was in Atlanta and heard a fascinating story about the health effects of air quality. In 1996, in preparation for the Summer Olympics, Atlanta planners banned single-occupancy vehicles (cars traveling with just a driver and no passengers) from traveling on the roads around the Olympic village. Only people taking transit, carpooling, biking or walking were allowed into the area. As a result, during the weeks of the Olympic games pediatric asthma-related hospital admissions dropped by more than 40 percent. Fewer cars likely led to healthier children.

If we all make small changes to our daily travel routines, it could make a big difference in our air quality and the air that our loved ones breathe. Instead of driving alone, we encourage you to carpool, ride a bike, take the train or a bus and combine your daily errands. Every little bit helps.

Frank Mongioi is the Clean Air NY Marketing and Outreach Manager.