In an effort to raise awareness about bettering both the environment and air quality, community members have come together to start an idle-free campaign.
Students will do so by acquiring help from peers, classmates and others from all of the Park City School District schools.
They will start with Jeremy Ranch Elementary School and have the students record how many cars that are picking up students and dropping off are idling.
Then, the campaigners will use this data to educate these young children on the dangers of this habit and why it is so important community members break it.
This movement is known as the “PCSD Idle-Free Campaign.”
It first began on the idea that many environmental groups typically take smaller steps in their community to obtain one larger goal, and these campaigners have been utilizing this concept to help build a better future for the earth.
Idling is a very quick fix — as people simply need to switch off their engine when they’re not driving.
Sonja Preston, a sophomore at Park City High School, is one of two students from the school that are involved.
When asked about the brainstorming behind this concept, Preston said, “Once people understand how small changes and habits can make a difference, it is much easier to orchestrate large sustainability efforts, such as composting, LEDs, etc.”
There are many daily habits people practice that can create huge environmental impacts, positive or negative. And most people fail to notice these habits because they have grown so accustomed to them, according to Preston.
The importance of this campaign is built on the value of air quality improvement and being environmentally conscious, she said.
According to the American Lung Association, Salt Lake City was ranked number ten for most polluted cities in the United States in 2023, which demonstrates how important it is that measures are taken to ensure there will be no repetition of this, Preston said.
Preston took a dive into the scientific side of this campaign.
She discussed the impacts of pollution on young people and said, “Studies show that kids breathe in more air relative to their size than adults do. Plus, their airways are still developing, which prevent pollutants from doing harm. This means that pollutants in our air, like carbon dioxide, are much more detrimental to kids than they are to adults.”
Preston went on to say that the increased amount of quality time children spend outside means they have more exposure to these harmful pollutants.
She also talked about how schools were a great place to begin because so many students spend such a large portion of their childhood there.
Preston brought up another benefit of using schools as a starting point and said, “Community members are much more likely to embrace an initiative if it involves younger kids and their education.”
The “PCSD Idle-free Campaign” is not only teaching the community the costs of leaving vehicles running for longer than necessary but also giving students real-world experience with making observations, analyzing and utilizing data, and advocating for social change, she said.
Moreover, they are demonstrating the importance of smaller strides to achieve large goals to change the world. Preston said.
She wrapped up with one final message.
“In Park City, we pride ourselves on our beautiful outdoor spaces, which provide so many amazing educational, economic, and recreational opportunities,” Preston said. “Idling and other forms of polluting, like littering, pose a major threat to such spaces and will continue to do so until we work to cultivate a culture where turning your car off and picking up trash are the norms, not the exceptions.”
The “PCSD Idle-free Campaign” is an innovative movement created by community members for a better future, and this is just the beginning.