Thank you for being part of the Drive Clean Across Texas e-mail group. We hope you use this listserv as a means to ask questions, share ideas and success stories, and to learn what doing to clean up our air.
Here is the latest news from Drive Clean Across Texas.
The Drive Clean Across Texas (DCAT) education elves have been hard at work these past several months developing additional air quality educational materials. These materials include two English/Spanish posters for grades K-5. We are also in the early stages of creating a printer-friendly version of our K-12 curriculum, which has been frequently requested. As soon as these materials are available, we will send out information on how to order these items.
Look for the DCAT booth at upcoming education conferences. We will exhibit the fun and flashy DCAT booth at the Association of Texas Professional Educators’ (ATPE) conference in Austin, in March, and the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teachers (CAST) in Houston, in October.
The six-minute, animated "Clean Air Crew" video was a tremendous hit at the CAST conference in Corpus Christi last year. As in Corpus, we expect to again get nearly 1,000 videos in the hands of appreciative teachers who are looking for a fun, informative way to educate children about the link between transportation and air pollution. To order videos for schools in your area (free!), please see: http://www.drivecleanacrosstexas.org/order_materials/.
Stop at the "click" — when you fill up, don’t top off your tank. Spilled gasoline pollutes the air when it evaporates, and it’s like dropping spare change on the ground.
Approximately 350 of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) vehicles are now driving around the state promoting clean air. Pictured is a car from TCEQ’s fleet proudly sporting a new DCAT sticker.
TCEQ car sporting a new DCAT sticker
DCAT is pleased to provide new bill stuffers and print-ready advertisements to you for use in your community, and all we need from you is your logo. The stuffers (which work great in utility bills, etc.) and print-ready ads are here for you to use. http://www.drivecleanacrosstexas.org/campaign_materials/print_materials/#ads. Plus, we would be happy to customize them for you. If you would like to use any of these pieces, please send us your program logo (e-mail Brandon Webb at b-webb@tamu.edu or mail to Brandon Webb, Texas Transportation Institute, The Texas A&M System, 3135 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843-3135); preferably in an ".eps" Illustrator format (also called "vector art"). NOTE! Right-clicking and grabbing the logo off your website won’t suffice for a quality print job. We need the original art. We hope you have great success. Let us know how we can help.
The following are recent air quality articles appearing in the news:
One of four 2004 Prius Toyota donated to the Yellowstone National Park. Each vehicle is wrapped with a different park wildlife related theme graphic.
Environmentally-Responsible Cars will be Used by Park Staff to Help Educate Visitors
After seeing cars tested for emissions, Cynthia Dheming, 16, made a keen observation. "Just think about all the things you're inhaling," she said. The sophomore and more than 100 Moody High School students from two academies, industrial trades and technology and pre-engineering, mathematics and science, participated in the Clean Air Fair, Wednesday. As part of the event, students toured a special van, which takes sulfur samples from the air. The van is provided by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. Read more.
Long-term exposure to air pollution may lead to the development of atherosclerosis, a form of cardiovascular disease in which fatty deposits cause artery walls to thicken and harden, according to a study published today in the February issue of Environmental Health Perspectives. Read more.
If helping the environment isn't a good enough reason to buy a hybrid car, lawmakers are contemplating a powerful appeal to drivers' self-interest: an easier commute. Legislation by lawmakers from California would let states make their own rules for hybrids in car pool lanes. If enacted, that would enable a California law letting hybrids in the lanes – even without passengers – to take effect. Read more.
Exposure of pregnant women to air pollution is the most likely cause of childhood cancers, suggests a British study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Read more.
Air pollution built to unhealthy levels around the upper Midwest, a wintertime rarity caused by the absence of strong wind, and problems were expected to continue Thursday for children and other sensitive groups. Minnesota officials warned that air in the Twin Cities was unhealthy for anyone Wednesday, and Chicago and Columbus, Ohio, this week had their first-ever winter air alerts, warning of unhealthy conditions for people at risk.
Pregnant women who live in areas with high levels of air pollution may give birth to slightly smaller babies, according to U.S. government researchers. Read more.
Don’t forget to use this list serv to share ideas on what your area is doing to help air quality and to ask questions of other members. We can all learn and benefit from what is working in other areas of our state. To email the group, send your message to: drivecleanacrosstexas@listserv.tamu.edu
Thank you for your support of Drive Clean Across Texas.
