Now that I’m back in the states, one difference in my daily routine stands out - carpooling. In Panama, my girls took a bus to school (yes, even the two year old!) It left me jittery, but with an odd sense that putting 10 kids and a couple of teachers in one vehicle every day made more sense than 10 SUVs in all their gas-guzzling glory prowling the streets. Odd, maybe, but now that I’m driving to school again, I’m completely guilty of that unique mommy characteristic - idling my car. I’ve been finding myself waiting 20 minutes or more for my kids in the carpool line, letting my car idle for the sake of using air conditioning (I live in Florida, a necessary evil or else for much of the year). Forget defending myself - evidence of idling shows it’s not only bad for the environment, but your health as well. Here are some myths about idling your car you’ve probably agreed with over the years -

• Turning your car off and on again wastes gas and is bad for your engine;
• Idling is good for your car (keeps it warm);
• Your engine needs to be warmed up before driving (great theory in the middle of January!).

Here are the realities -

• Idling your car for one hour burns almost one gallon of gasoline;
• Turning your car off and on does no damage to your car, and actually saves you money over time (ie, you’re not wasting gas!);
• Really, we all jump in the car and ‘warm it up’ for the heater anyway, but driving your car is the most effective way to warm your car up.

One suggestion is to park your car and, in my case, wait inside the school until it’s time to pick up the kids. Or, on nice days, jump into a friend’s car and catch up. You might not be able to listen to the radio, but if you’re idling for 20 minutes a day, five days a week…that’s 100 idling minutes, equal to wasting over a gallon and a half of gas! That adds up to a lot of money over time. There’s also evidence that idling can lead to health problems over time, perhaps from car fumes traveling through the car. And let’s not forget the pollution that’s spilling into the air.

Check out what the Consumer Energy Center has to say about idling myths and truths (their other energy myths and facts are pretty fascinating as well), and keep them in mind the next time you’re waiting in your car!