Grayslake - Sierra Club is hosting a “Clean Car Wash” to promote cleaner car emissions standards in Illinois. Currently, California and 12 other coastal states have higher emissions standards for vehicle tailpipe pollutants, which have been linked to global warming, asthma and other respiratory health problems.

“It's unbelievable that there are two different cars on the market and that Illinois drivers are only being offered a car that harms their respiratory health and contributes to global warming”, said Colleen Sarna, Global Warming Conservation Organizer. “The good news is that cleaner versions are already being built. Illinoisans deserve the same choices, improved air quality and reliability in their vehicle purchase that drivers in thirteen other states are already getting.”

The car wash is part of the Sierra Club's Clean Car campaign-one of the organization's global warming initiatives to reduce green house gas emissions for the transportation sector. The standard originally implemented in California, requires cars that all new cars sold come equipped with off the shelf technology that will limit global warming emissions by 30%, help save consumers money at the pump, and reduce health harmful pollutants in the air.

Pollution from the transportation sector accounts for approximately 30% of all global warming emissions in Illinois. Sierra Club is using the car wash as an opportunity to educate the public that alternatives in other regions of the country exist and urge them to contact their representatives about requiring cleaner cars in Illinois. Individuals will also be provided with information on the variety of Sierra Club campaigns to end global warming.

The car wash will be conducted in an environmentally friendly manner. Volunteers will be using phosphate free and biodegradable soap, washing and drying with donations of old t-shirts and towels, and minimizing water use when possible. Additionally, cars will not be allowed to idle while waiting and all runoff will be filtered naturally instead of going directly into the storm drains.