Day 156 - To be an Idol, you can’t Idle - Jason Biundo and Azam Baig - BHS Seniors

This post first appeared on Dr. Conti's blog

State Law Mandates No Idling on School Grounds

photo via: www.flickr.com/photos/peterblanchard

Global warming. Air Pollution. Smog. These are topics that make the news every single day. But did you know that limiting something you may do daily could have a major effect on reducing the impact we have on our environment? Idling! Idling occurs any time your car is stopped but the engine is running, and it occurs more often than you may think. Whether stopped at a red light, waiting in the drive through, or sitting waiting to pick up your child from school, we spend a significant amount of time idling.

An idling car uses a significant amount of fuel (anywhere between 1⁄5 and 7/10 of a gallon per hour) depending on the car or truck. With gas prices going up, idling costs you money. Contrary to popular belief, a car does not use more gas to restart the engine than to keep in idle. In fact, idling for more than 10 seconds uses more gas than if the engine was shut off. Another popular belief is that the engine needs to warm up before it can be driven. However, that is not the case with modern engines, and the engine actually warms twice as quickly when being driven. There are many obvious economic and environmental benefits from not idling, but there also many health benefits too, particularly for your children. And guess what? IT’S THE LAW!!

A law you ask? Yes! Massachusetts state law (540 CMR) mandates that vehicles not be idling on school grounds or else risk a penalty of $100 for the first offense, possibly escalating to $500 for subsequent offenses. Those fines may hurt the wallet, but idling hurts the body. Idling cars release the same pollutants that moving cars do, and the stationary nature of idling cars leads to the pollutants building up and possibly entering the school building through the ventilation system. The exhaust of cars is linked to adverse health effects such as asthma, allergies, heart disease, increased risk of cancers, and other lung problems (EMA).

So ask yourself…is the minor inconvenience of turning the engine off and on worth the health, economic, and environmental benefits of reducing idling time? We think so. After all, to be an idol, you can’t idle!!

Written By: Jason Biundo and Azam Baig BHS Class Of 2017 and AP Environmental Science Students Extraordinaire!

Works Cited:

Leibrock, Amy “10 Reasons to Turn Off an Idling Car.” Sustainable America . Web. 08 May 2017.

“Attention Drivers! Turn off Your Idling Engines.” Environmental Defense Fund . Web. 08 May 2017.

“Everything You Need To Know About Idling.” EMA . Web. 08 May 2017.

Lawlib. “540 CMR: Registry of Motor Vehicles.” Court System . 07 May 2014. Web. 08 May 2017.

“The Facts about Idling Your Car.” Boston.gov . 17 July 2016. Web. 08 May 2017.

Day 97 - Segovia - Ms. DeSousa - BHS Foreign Language Dept.

This post first appeared on the BHS  Spanish Exchange Blog 

Today we visited the beautiful city of Segovia.  Here are some posts from our students!

Ashwini

“Today, we went to Segovia, the town I stay in, along with my Spanish exchange family, and it was absolutely beautiful! There was so much history and architecture there that I could not figure where to look. Any amount of time felt too short. The intricacies, and the reasons behind the designs and statues really made me stand back in awe! We saw the famous aqueduct and the palace of Isabella, along with some other tourist sites. We had heard about both of them in class, however, actually seeing the structures, and stand on/next to them, brought it to a whole other level. Ramón told us many facts as we went around Segovia, one of them being that Walt Disney got his inspiration for Cinderella’s castle from the palace of Isabella! Overall, it was an extremely enjoyable day, and even though we climbed close to a 100 steps up and down, I would definitely say that it was well worth it. I was so reluctant to leave today, but I guess all things have to come to an end, and I can’t wait for all the adventures that await us tomorrow!”

Kristina

“Today we went to Segovia. Learning about the different architectural styles was very interesting. Segovia is absolutely beautiful. The castle was particularly my favorite, not only because of its unique style and beauty, but because it Cinderella’s castle in Disney Land was modeled after that! There was never a boring sight. Every step I took I saw a new scenery which never failed to amaze me. I am so happy that I am able to go on this trip with some of my close friends and make new friendships that will last a lifetime.”

Ada

“Segovia, like the rest of Spain, was beautiful. When we pulled up to our stop, we saw the ancient aqueducts dating back to the Roman Empire. It was long, so long that I could not see the end, or even where it continued. It was tall, too, and had those large, Roman arches that I had only seen on calendars and in pictures. From the aqueducts, we walked along the roads to a castle. One thing I really love about these ancient cities are the roads. They are literally stone roads, narrow, with tall buildings stretching above you into the skyline. If you have ever been to Harry Potter World in Florida, recall the streets of England they had mimicked, and you’ll have a pretty good sense of what the streets felt like. Additionally, the streets are packed with little shops and quaint little cafés where tourists can find interesting curios and yummy treats. I had ordered hot chocolate and porras, which was a very similar meal to one I had had before, in the heart of New Orleans. Porras are a type of bread, made crispy and topped with sugar, that is usually eaten with hot chocolate. Beignets, most famously made in Cafe Du Monde, is also bread that is fried, topped with sugar, and eaten with chocolate. I was thoroughly surprised by this similarity! The castle that we saw later was on the edge of a cliff and looked like the Hogwarts castle from the outside. It was breathtaking!”

Jillian

“Segovia was both beautiful and painful. About an hour away, the bus ride wasn’t bad though it reeked something fierce. The aqueduct was impressive and Ramón was ever the great tour guide. We also saw the cathedral which was massive. During our break, a group of us decided to find a café rather than going shopping. We all got churros con chocolate which may be the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. We walked through the Alcazar and saw the magnificent architecture. The most difficult part, besides the cold, was climbing the tower. Though the view was worth it, 152 skinny, twisty stone steps was rough. From below, the castle was even more impressive, but again, too many stairs. Every single one of us was gasping for breath at the top. Segovia is a beautiful and old city, and I had a lot of fun there today.Segovia was both beautiful and painful.”

Roman Aqueducts

Alcázar

Churros con chocolate

Segovia Cathedral