April 30, 2001

In honor of Care About Air Week, Green Star is offering free timers to Anchorage residents for use with vehicle engine block heaters. The timers can be set to provide electricity to your engine block heater two hours before your departure on days below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the prescribed time and temperature for improved air quality. The event will be held at the BP Energy Center on Thursday, November 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Visitors may tour the Energy Center and enjoy light refreshments.

More than half of the carbon monoxide emitted into Anchorage air comes from vehicles. Of that, more than two thirds comes from the first few minutes of warm-up idling. “We as a city face the challenge of keeping our carbon monoxide levels within healthy ranges and below federally mandated limits,” stated Sean Skaling, executive director of Green Star.

“The good news is that the largest source of CO (vehicle warm-up idling) is easily controllable. If everyone voluntarily makes an effort to reduce the number of cold starts, we can eliminate this problem and avoid more economically damaging solutions.” Methods to reduce cold starts include using an engine block heater, combining trips, car-pooling, riding the bus, walking and biking.

The timers being given away allow residents the freedom of plugging in at night, without having to use and pay for electricity use throughout the night. The average engine block heater uses about four cents worth of energy per hour of use and will reduce carbon monoxide emissions by more than 70 percent.

In addition to improving the air we breathe, the use of an engine block heater also reduces engine wear, and allows the vehicle interior and windows to warm faster for a speedier, safer and more comfortable departure.

The timer give-away is sponsored by Green Star, the Municipality of Anchorage, and BP. Funding for the timers is provided by a Federal Highway grant, made available to help improve Anchorage air quality.

Green Star recognizes organizations that are air friendly with their Air Quality Award, an award very similar to the better-known Green Star Award for waste reduction. By adopting air-friendly practices and encouraging employees to do the same, local organizations earn Green Star’s Air Quality Award. Current awardees include the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation; AIDEA/Alaska Energy Authority; University of Alaska Anchorage; Municipal Light and Power; the US Air Force, 3rd CRS Propulsion Flight; Polaris K-12 School; and Steller Secondary School.

For more information about Green Star’s Air Quality Award or the timer give-away, contact Green Star at (907) 278-7827, visit www.greenstarinc.org, or email info@greenstarinc.org.


	NEWS RELEASE November 18, 2002 For Immediate Release PLUG IT IN! WITH A FREE TIMER In honor of Care About Air Week, Green Star is offering free timers to Anchorage residents for use with vehicle engine block heaters. The timers can be set to provide electricity to your engine block heater two hours before your departure on days below 20 degrees Fahrenheit, the prescribed time and temperature for improved air quality. The event will be held at the BP Energy Center on Thursday, November 21 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Visitors may tour the Energy Center and enjoy light refreshments. More than half of the carbon monoxide emitted into Anchorage air comes from vehicles. Of that, more than two thirds comes from the first few minutes of warm-up idling. “We as a city face the challenge of keeping our carbon monoxide levels within healthy ranges and below federally mandated limits,” stated Sean Skaling, executive director of Green Star. “The good news is that the largest source of CO (vehicle warm-up idling) is easily controllable. If everyone voluntarily makes an effort to reduce the number of cold starts, we can eliminate this problem and avoid more economically damaging solutions.” Methods to reduce cold starts include using an engine block heater, combining trips, car-pooling, riding the bus, walking and biking. The timers being given away allow residents the freedom of plugging in at night, without having to use and pay for electricity use throughout the night. The average engine block heater uses about four cents worth of energy per hour of use and will reduce carbon monoxide emissions by more than 70 percent. In addition to improving the air we breathe, the use of an engine block heater also reduces engine wear, and allows the vehicle interior and windows to warm faster for a speedier, safer and more comfortable departure. The timer give-away is sponsored by Green Star, the Municipality of Anchorage, and BP. Funding for the timers is provided by a Federal Highway grant, made available to help improve Anchorage air quality. Green Star recognizes organizations that are air friendly with their Air Quality Award, an award very similar to the better-known Green Star Award for waste reduction. By adopting air-friendly practices and encouraging employees to do the same, local organizations earn Green Star’s Air Quality Award. Current awardees include the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation; AIDEA/Alaska Energy Authority; University of Alaska Anchorage; Municipal Light and Power; the US Air Force, 3rd CRS Propulsion Flight; Polaris K-12 School; and Steller Secondary School. For more information about Green Star’s Air Quality Award or the timer give-away, contact Green Star at (907) 278-7827, visit www.greenstarinc.org, or email info@greenstarinc.org. ###