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Seventh Graders Suwaydah Aden, Ibtisam Ahmed, and Erin Enright coined the term "Idle-Free SLP" during their Climate Action presentation last spring during science class. Their slogan and presentation have since served as inspiration for a new initiative in Saint Louis Park to reduce carbon emissions in our school parking lots.
As you pick up and drop off your kids this year, you may notice some new “Idle-Free SLP” signs. That’s because the City of St. Louis Park, in collaboration with Park Nicollet, is launching a student-driven idling reduction campaign for cleaner air and healthier lungs. Idling, or running the engine while parked, can produce more tailpipe emissions per minute than driving and has been linked to asthma symptoms, heart and lung disease, cognitive issues, and premature death. Children are even more vulnerable to air pollution than adults because they breathe more air per pound of body weight and their respiratory systems are not yet fully developed. This makes idling near schools – one of the most common idling scenarios as parents wait to pick up their children – especially dangerous.
Learn more and get involved by checking out the city website or by attending our poster-making session on Thursday, October 13 at St. Louis Park Middle School from 4-5 p.m. Snacks, beverages, and poster-making materials will be provided. Click here to register in advance.
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