3 minute read
Drivers, cut your engines
One simple step to ‘Spare Our Air’
By Jennifer Humphries
As kids and teens return to school, parents may be considering ways to save on clothing, school supplies and technology because post-pandemic prices have risen substantially higher than in 2019.
Here’s another way to save: Turn off your car when you’re waiting to pick up your student from school. Reduced fuel consumption equals more dollars in your pocket – nothing simpler. It’s a myth that idling costs are negligible. Far more importantly, you’ll be helping to save our air. Before this summer, you may not have heard of the Air Quality Health Index, or AQHI. Ottawa has been fortunate in the past not to have “smoke days.” Now that we all know what they are, and what it feels like to breathe when the AQHI is 10+, literally off the charts, it’s time to take steps to protect air quality for the benefit of all but especially for the youngest and most vulnerable members of our community.
The City of Ottawa is responding to community requests to stop excessive idling. Back in 2022, after the Convoy when huge diesel trucks idled for days on end, the Glebe Community Association (GCA) and several other community associations issued a series of recommendations on education, enforcement and a strengthened bylaw (the current bylaw dating from 2007 does not reflect Canadian best practices and provides only vague definitions as well as numerous exemptions). As a result of that advocacy, a City campaign launched this April encouraged residents to Spare Our Air by cutting our engines when we’re stopping for three minutes or more. And next year, City staff will be reviewing the existing bylaw based on a motion from Councillor Shawn Menard that was adopted in July 2022.
Yes, that’s more than a year ago, and with the environmental stakes as high as they are, one would think that a push would be made sooner to achieve something as simple as reducing needless idling.
Note that City efforts to expand EV charging availability in the next year or two will likely help increase the proportion of electric to gas vehicles locally and help to decrease emissions eventually. But we as a community can take a simple step to Spare Our Air, now
You can do your part by turning off your vehicle when you stop for pick-ups from school, daycare, sports and other activities.
Thank you for not idling
Jennifer Humphries is a member of the GCA Environment Committee and is co-chair of the Glebe Report Association.
