I'm having a really bad morning. Not by choice, but on some days no matter how excited and happy I am about the new day my enthusiasm is broken by others. But i really didn't want to blog about this. What I did just a few minutes ago, I researched articles about idling cars in the winter. Here is the best I found. Written by and copyright to SUZANNE ELSTON.

I am frequently amazed at our ability to create new products and services that torture our environment in the name of comfort. My personal favourite this season is the remote car starter. For just under $200, the device allows you to start your car from the warm comfort of your home, while contributing to global warming and smog, and wasting considerable fuel in the process. For about the same amount of money you can buy a decent winter coat that ultimately leaves you with the same result - without polluting the environment or wasting finite fossil fuels.

Idling your car in the winter isn't just bad for the environment; it can be hard on your car's engine. Incomplete combustion means that fuel residues can condense on cylinder walls, contaminate engine oil and clog spark plugs.

The best way to warm your car up is to drive it. With computer controlled, fuel-injected engines, you need no more than 30 seconds of idling before driving away. Things like wheel bearings, steering, suspension, transmission and tires only warm up when your car is moving.

The problem is that our idling habit has nothing to do with warming up our cars. It's simply about personal comfort.

One morning I saw a woman rush out of her house in a housecoat and curlers, back two vehicles out of the garage. She left them running while she returned to her morning preparations. Given her state of undress, I'd guess that at least one of those vehicles would be idling for 20 minutes or more.

On another occasion, my walking buddy and I ended up walking up a driveway and around the front of an idling car to avoid its exhaust. The owner of the car came out of the house in time to overhear my comment about how inconsiderate some people can be. (The temperature was at least five degrees.)

The woman was so enraged that she got in her car and followed us, screaming obscenities as she went. She drove up and down the street several times before she roared off in disgust. Some people clearly don't have enough to do.

One morning I finally had enough. I was walking around a car left idling on the sidewalk, when I noticed that the driver's door was unlocked. I reached in and turned off the car. That was my single act of environmental terrorism and it felt so good.

Unnecessary car idling isn't just about personal preference. Natural Resources Canada's Office of Energy Efficiency (OEE) has identified idling as a significant contributor to global warming. In total, four per cent of the fuel that we burn in our cars is consumed by idling. According to the OEE:

In the peak of winter, Canadians voluntarily idle their cars for a total of more than 75 million minutes a day or the equivalent of idling one vehicle for 144 years.
If every driver of a light-duty vehicle in Canada avoided idling for just five minutes a day, it would save 1.6 million litres of fuel and prevent more than 1.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere and contributing to climate change.
Ten seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off your engine and re-starting it. If you're going to be stopped for more than 10 seconds except in traffic turn off your car. This includes things like drive-thru's, car washes and waiting to pick someone up especially children after school.
Restarting your car, rather than letting it idle, will cost about $10 a year in component wear, money that you can easily save several times over in reduced fuel consumption.
Driving your car actually cuts warm-up time in half. This reduces fuel consumption (which saves money) and greenhouse gas emissions.
On really cold mornings, using a block heater is much more efficient than idling your car.

There it is. Don't idle. Buy a coat. Save money and wear and tear on your car while protecting the environment. Simple.

Visit The Idle-Free Zone (http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/autosmart/idling/Home.cfm), the first Web site dedicated to helping Canadians in their efforts to stop unnecessary engine idling in their communities.

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