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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Medford gamer wins $6.6 million in e-sports competition ... Leveling the playing field for back-to-school supplies ... Making progress ... Medford gamer wins $6.6 million in e-sports competition ... Leveling the playing field for back-to-school supplies ... Making progress ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Idle time is wasted money Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Apr. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Please do a story on the environmental impact of idling cars before driving. I have neighbors who insist on this to the extent that they start cars a full 15 minutes before driving, and go back inside to get ready for work. It's horrible. And it's wasteful. Please help! — Mara O., by email Happy to help any way we can, Mara. After all, we all have to share the air. There's plenty of evidence that idling your car is not only creating pollution, but it's also unnecessary. According to the Hinkle Charitable Foundation's website, Americans waste an estimated 3.8 million gallons of gasoline every day by idling their vehicles. On average, for every 10 minutes a car idles, 1 pound of carbon dioxide is released into the air (carbon dioxide is considered the primary contributor to climate change). The website points out that modern cars do not need more than a few seconds of idling to warm up and that the best way to warm up a car is to drive it, since that warms up the catalytic converter and other mechanical parts and not just the engine. Idling your car rather than turning it off during a quick stop does not save gas — there's about a 10-second break-even point. In other words, if you idle your car for more than 10 seconds, you'll save more gas by shutting off your engine and restarting it. And, if all that isn't convincing enough, here's the carrot: If you let your car idle for five minutes each day, you're wasting 10 to 20 gallons of gas a year, depending on your engine's size. At $3 a gallon, you could realize as much as $60 a year in savings. And we would all breathe a little easier. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.         MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501