Students and parents from around the district are promoting the “Driving is Exhausting” campaign, an initiative that encourages drivers to turn off their engines while waiting to pick up their kids after school.
The initiative argues that the harmful fumes given off by waiting parents can cause harm and irritation as students breathe them in at the end of the day.
The campaign also suggests school community members prioritize walking, biking and bus travel in order to minimize transportation emissions.
The initiative has taken off after several Phillips Middle School students introduced it to their school. The environmental activism club the “Green Team” launched the initiative in late October.
Since then, the group has promoted the campaign across the district, even making an appearance on WRAL News to spread the word.
Hazel Grine is an eighth grader who, with the help of parent advisor Mary Parry, started the club at Phillips Middle School last spring.
“It began with Mary and me emailing each other about how to make the community and school more sustainable,” Grine said. “Now, the Green Team has many members, and we are working on a variety of projects.”
The club has started other initiatives, such as a recycling drive that took place at Phillips last fall.
Freshman Maleehah Ward is a student leader of the group from East Chapel Hill High who became part of the campaign in early October.
“I got involved when Mary texted me one day asking if I wanted to help the Phillips Green Team with a campaign that they were starting, and if I could get more high school students on the team, too,” Ward said. “Next thing I knew, we were going on live television, participating in radio interviews and talking in front of the Town Council.”
According to the campaign, just ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine, a statistic that the campaign has used to encourage drivers to turn off their engines when waiting in their cars.
Breathing in excess car exhaust has been linked to increased risk of asthma in children and can worsen other respiratory illnesses.
“We want to get the word out to students and parents, so that, in the future, they’ll know how to protect the air quality,” Ward said.
Chapel Hill assistant principal John Brown manages car pick-up and drop-off every day at the school.
“I believe individuals and organizations should take steps to reduce their carbon footprint,” he said.
Signs promoting the campaign can be seen across the district, reading “Turn off your engines—Students breathe here.” The club has also launched a website that includes online resources for drivers to learn more about the impacts of vehicle emissions.
“I’m really glad the county has backed this campaign and is supporting us around town,” Grine said. “It feels really awesome to see the campaign spreading so fast in such a short amount of time.”
More information about the campaign can be found at its website, drivingisexhausting.com.
