Partnering to reduce pollution Published June 18, 2010 By Wayne Crenshaw 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Team Robins members can help the environment and help themselves as well through an initiative which encourages car pooling. Robins partners with the Clean Air Campaign to give workers here a way to find carpool partners through an online registry at www.logyourcommute.org. Robins employees can go to the Web site, put in their information and find people who live near them and have similar working hours. Heidi Schwingle, air quality program manager here, said the partnership with the Clean Air Campaign began three years ago. Many people on base have been using the site, but she said she would like to see more participation. She said there are many good reasons for people to consider carpooling in addition to the Clean Air Campaign's goal of reducing air pollution. "It helps by saving money on gas, saving wear and tear on your car, and it helps with traffic and parking on the base," she said. Users of the site are invited to log their commute mileage saved through carpooling, which makes them eligible to win cash and prizes from the Clean Air Campaign's Commuter Rewards program. Additionally, people who bicycle, walk or vanpool can log on to win awards. The Clean Air Campaign is a non-profit organization that aims to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion. Schwingle said signing up for the site does not obligate anyone to carpooling, and people can choose to carpool only two or three days per week if they wish. According to Schwingle Robins employees logged 2,618 commute trips on the site in April. That resulted in an employee savings of $40,948, and a reduction in vehicle miles of 81,896. That led to an air-pollutant reduction of 69 kilograms of nitrogen oxide and 83 kilograms of volatile organic compounds.