<
https://theconversation.com/these-students-cut-air-pollution-near-their-schools-by-taking-aim-at-their-parents-idling-cars-262435>
"At the start and end of every school day, many Australian children head to the
carpark or street to get picked up. While they’re waiting, they will be
breathing in a mix of toxic gases and particle pollution.
Why? Because many parents leave their car engines idling while parked. The
practice leads to noticeable spikes in pollutants which can trigger asthma
attacks and harm student health.
Idling is a surprisingly high cause of carbon emissions, too. Previous research
suggests Australian drivers leave their cars idling up to 20% of their total
travel time, producing as much as 8% of a trip’s emissions.
Our new research shows how primary school students from two Melbourne schools
made a real difference using a simple, child-led solution: talking about the
problem with their parents. Student-led conversations successfully helped cut
idling by up to 40% during afternoon pick-up and 18% in the mornings.
At a time when many young people feel hopeless about climate change, programs
like ours can help build a sense of agency and purpose."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
