By Margot Higgins Researchers are trying to curb pollution from idling engines. The thermostat outside reads 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Your nose crystallizes when you walk out the door. You want to let your car warm up while you sip coffee by the fireplace, but conservation groups urge you to reconsider.
Cars are a significant contributor to climate change.
Gas fumes contribute to 70 percent of the smog in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Letting your car idle contributes significantly to greenhouse gases, and past a point, it's hard on the engine too. Since engines burn more fuel at colder temperatures and a car stays colder longer when it is idling, warming up your car for more than a couple of minutes is a great waste. Researchers in the United States are attempting to curb pollution from the moment you turn the ignition key, a recent study in New Scientist reports. Cars don't burn gas until it has been vaporized, the researchers explain.