Association for Behavior Analysis International

Driving gasoline powered cars contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and pollutants. This study used an ABAB reversal design to examine the effects of immediate feedback on non-ecofriendly driving behavior (i.e., hard braking, hard accelerating). An “Automatic” device was installed in each participant’s car to measure specific parameters of driving, including accelerating, braking, and fuel consumption. During the baseline condition participants received feedback after driving by logging in to the Automatic application on their smartphone. During the immediate condition participants received feedback from the “Automatic” device while driving. All three participants had an overall decrease in episodes of hard accelerations/hard brakes during the immediate feedback condition compared to the delayed feedback baseline condition.

Idling vehicles pollute the air around the vehicle and the exhaust can enter school buildings through air intakes, doors, and open windows. Children are especially vulnerable to vehicle emissions because of their developing lungs, smaller lung surface area, and higher inhalation rate. Emissions can lead to serious health conditions like asthma and allergies (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2003). Along with health conditions, idling vehicles also cause wasted fuel, wear and tear, and wasted money. Given these factors, we designed a study to decrease vehicle idling during school dismissal. We conducted a non-current multiple baseline design across three schools to evaluate the effects of a treatment package on the percentage of 10-s intervals during which vehicles were idling 15 minutes prior to dismissal. The treatment package consisted of providing drivers with a written policy and rationale along with verbal instructions as well as stimulus prompts in the form of “No Idling” signs placed on school grounds. Idling decreased across the three schools with the implementation of the treatment package, however data remained variable. The mean percentage of intervals scored with idling decreased from baseline to treatment. The importance of implementing behavior change for a sustainable world programs within schools will be discussed, as well as the challenges of such programs.

Coral bleaching negatively impacts the biodiversity and functioning of reef systems and has become a worldwide phenomenon. Benzophenone-3 (BP-3; oxybenzone) contributes to coral bleaching, decline of coral growth and death (Downs et al., 2015). Oxybenzone is also harmful algae, fish and mammals. Oxybenzone is commonly found in sunscreen lotions to protect against the harmful effects of ultraviolet light. Danovaro et al. (2008) reports that 6-000-14,000 tons of sunscreen is discharged into the coral reefs each year. The level of oxybenzone concentration deemed toxic to Hawai?I’s coral reefs is 62 parts per trillion (PPT). Downs et al (2015) tested levels of 700+ PPT. Hawai?i has banned the use of sunscreens containing oxybenzone effective 2021. This presentation will describe a project with dual goals of educating people and getting them to switch to mineral-based, oxybenzone-free sunscreen. Because there were not enough brands that communicated or connected with Hawai?ian culture, I decided to develop my own mineral sunscreen. After two years I successfully obtained FDA approval for Ko?a (Hawai’ian word for coral) sunscreen. To date, I have traded more than 80 free 2-oz. samples of Ko?a sunscreen for more than 150 bottles of reef killing sunscreen. I also organize sunscreen drop offs to ensure the reef killing sunscreen goes to the state-run incinerator and never make its way to the ocean and landfills.