What you can do at work
Many of us work five days a week to make a living. If we all made small changes in the way we get to and do our work, the collective impact on air quality would be significant. We can ride our bike or telework once a week, reduce idling or encourage our employer to become a Clean Air Champion. Every little change helps.
Choose one of the icons below to learn more about how you can help clear Utah’s air.
- Idle Less
Reduce idling for your employees >>
Businesses are joining the effort to reduce idling among their employees
Some are making idle-free policies or holding summits to educate about idling. Research indicates that the average person idles their car five to ten minutes a day. Cutting idle time makes sense during inversions, because reduced idling also reduces the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), both precursor gases for the formation of PM2.5 during inversions.
While the emissions from one idling vehicle may not seem like much, when combined with the emissions from other vehicles, the cumulative effect can be significant. Idling also increases fuel costs. Ten seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it. A car idling for two minutes uses about the same amount of fuel it takes to drive one mile.
