Barbara Latkowski
Caledonia Courier
Fort St. James is idle free.
And the District asks that residents do try to keep the air clean by not warming up their vehicles more than necessary and turning off engines when stopped for more than a few minutes.
An operating vehicle emits a range of gases from its tailpipe into the atmosphere contributing to air pollution, smog and climate change.
According to Natural Resources Canada, if Canadians avoided idling for just three minutes every day of the year, carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 1.4 million tonnes annually. This would equal to saving 630 million litres of fuel and equivalent of taking 320,000 cars off the road for the entire year.
Idling for over 10 seconds uses more fuel and produces more carbon dioxide compared to restarting your engine.
If you are stopping for more than 60 seconds, it is recommended that you turn your engine off as idling wastes money and fuel and produces greenhouse gases that in turn contribute to climate change.
Counties all around the world are making initiatives regarding the impact of transportation on the environment.
In Europe, recommended guidelines for turning engines off are found all over including Italy and France where engines are to be turned off after 10 seconds, 20 seconds in Austria and 40 seconds in Germany.
But clearly, individual actions can also make a difference with a simple turn of a key.
For more information on greenhouse gas emissions, climate change and impacts on human health and environment, visit Health Canada at:
Hc-sc.gc.ca: Understanding the Health Impacts of Climate Change and Climate Change and Health.