Idling in the U.S.
Kansas
Kansas Facts: Became the 34th state on January 29, 1861
State Abbreviation - KS
State Capital - Topeka
Largest City - Wichita
Area - 82,282 sq miles [Kansas is the 15th biggest state in the US]
Population - 2,688,418 (as of 2000) [Kansas is the 32nd most populous state in the US]
Major Industries - agriculture (wheat and other grains), aircraft manufacturing, automobile manufacturing
Major Rivers - Kansas River, Republican River, Smoky Hill River, Arkansas River, Missouri
Major Lakes - Tuttle Creek Reservoir, Cheney Reservoir, Waconda Lake
Highest Point - Mt. Sunflower - 4,039 feet (1,231 m) above sea level
Lowest Point - Verdigris River - 680 feet (270 m) above sea level
Bordering States - Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma 		Midwest_inset.jpg
Idling in Kansas. Kansas, as well as five other Midwest states, is feeling the brunt of a falling population. Beginning in the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, people moved from rural areas into urban areas. This problem persists to the present day in the western parts of Great Plains states. Today, Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural states, producing many crops, and leading the nation in wheat and sunflower production most years.

An area often referred to as the American "Heartland", it is located equidistant from the Pacific and the Atlantic oceans. Due to its low population, idling is not as big a problem as it is in other states, but nevertheless it is important to establish an awareness of what air pollution is doing to the state's largest source of income - agriculture.

The state of Kansas has a number of vehicles in operation throughout the state. Below is a summary of the data regarding idling length and costs.

KANSAS IDLING ANALYSIS
Average Hours One Vehicle Spends Idling Per Year
Total Number of Vehicles Idling
Total Hours Idling
Total Annual Fuel Consumption for Idling (Gallons)
Annual Barrels of Oil Consumed for Idling
Daily Barrels of Oil Consumed for Idling
Percentage of the 20 Million Barrels a Day that are Being Used to Idle
HEAVY DUTY TRUCK 2,142
47,421
84,105,590
84,105,590
8,410,559
23,043
0.115%
SCHOOL BUS 181
3,534
639,638
639,638
63,964
175
0.001%
LIGHT DUTY 30
584,808
17,544,247
11,228,318
572,873
1,570
0.008%
TOTAL ALL 2,353
635,763
102,289,475
95,973,546
9,047,396
24,788
0.124%
Emissions GHG CO2 TONS/YEAR
HEAVY DUTY TRUCK 919,693
SCHOOL BUS 6,994
LIGHT DUTY 106,687
TOTAL ALL 1,033,374
 
Tax Dollars Spent on Fuel for Idling in School Bus Industry
HEAVY DUTY TRUCK N/A
SCHOOL BUS $1,918,915
LIGHT DUTY N/A
TOTAL ALL $1,918,915
KANSAS PRO ENVIRONMENT POLITICIANS (2007)
Office Held
Party
Comment
Sebelius, Kathleen
Governor
Democrat
Priority: "Taking advantage of the state's renewable energy potential"
Moore, Dennis
House of Representatives
Democrat
Rated 92% by LCV*
*League of Conservation Voters, indicating pro-environment votes (2006)
State Enforcement of 400-Pound Auxiliary Power Unit Exemption to GVW Limit: 23 CFR 658.17(n)
Allows 400lb Weight Exemption Does not Allow 400lb Weight Exemption Legislation Pending to Allow Exemption
YES