At the start and end of every school day, many Australian children head to the carpark or street to get picked up. While they’re waiting, they will be breathing in a mix of toxic gases and particle pollution.

Why? Because many parents leave their car engines idling while parked. The practice leads to noticeable spikes in pollutants which can trigger asthma attacks and harm student health.

Idling is a surprisingly high cause of carbon emissions, too. Previous research suggests Australian drivers leave their cars idling up to 20% of their total travel time, producing as much as 8% of a trip’s emissions.

Our new research shows how primary school students from two Melbourne schools made a real difference using a simple, child-led solution: talking about the problem with their parents. Student-led conversations successfully helped cut idling by up to 40% during afternoon pick-up and 18% in the mornings.

At a time when many young people feel hopeless about climate change, programs like ours can help build a sense of agency and purpose.

Around schools, idling cars create pollution........

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