On Sunday 11 December, Spinnaker Tower will be glowing green in support of Cleaner Air Portsmouth’s new campaign: When you stop, engine stops.

The campaign encourages drivers to consider whether they could make their journey by public or active transport, and if they do choose to drive, to do so responsibly. Engine idling is prominent in Portsmouth and is a significant contributor to air pollution, with the health effects of toxic air causing problems for thousands of residents.

The visuals for the campaign represent the statistic that one minute of engine idling equals 150 balloons worth of harmful emissions released into the air. A girl is holding these balloons* beside South Parade Pier to remind drivers that the health and environmental effects of idling are not just a matter for today, but for our future generations. Children, in addition to older people and those with respiratory and heart conditions, are more vulnerable to damage caused by breathing polluted air. Health complications include asthma, respiratory problems, lung cancer, cardiac disease and strokes.

Cleaner Air Portsmouth will be working alongside Portsmouth International Port, Portico, Wightlink, taxi firms and more to unite the city in lowering engine idling. Local hospitality venues across the city will be offered pub quiz trivia branded beer mats free of charge, to encourage debate amongst guests as to what 150 balloons represent.

To support the campaign, Portsmouth City Council has launched a reporting tool for residents to log incidents of engine idling directly to the air quality and traffic planning team to address problematic areas for idling.

Remember… when you stop, engine stops.

*Balloons are a computer-generated image.

Report engine idling.

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