Dispatches from the Signs of Change campaign

A5

By Najat Abdou-McFarland, Signs of Change co-ordinator at Falls Brook Centre

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Speak Up

Some say it is the little things that count.

The Falls Brook Centre Signs of Change project has been going full swing for four months now. Look for our posters around Carleton County.

We have been encouraging drivers to take the Signs of Change pledge. Drivers, who sign the pledge, commit to checking their tire pressure weekly, avoiding idling, being careful of their speed and car-pooling more often.

From the conversations I have had with motorists while filling out their Signs of Change pledges, motorists do care about checking tire pressure and avoiding idling. They know that by paying attention to these details, they save on fuel.

It is clear that these actions are beneficial at the individual level, but what about at the community, national and global levels? Well, the neat thing is that through checking tire pressure, Carleton County will collectively make a reduction into the atmosphere of 58,373 kilograms of carbon dioxide. By refraining from idling, the collective reduction will be 60,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

Therefore from doing these two simple activities, there will be a collective reduction of 118, 000 kilograms of carbon dioxide.

I hope that gives people a small lift of satisfaction and accomplishment, because we can all contribute towards mitigating climate change through our individual actions and behaviours and it is satisfying to know the difference we have made when we have done so.

Not idling and checking tire pressure are examples of how tiny individual actions can have a great collective impact when collectively taken together. The other habits that make up the crux of the Signs of Change campaign are lowering speed on the highways (90 km/hr is the most fuel efficient speed), car pooling and making your next car purchase fuel-efficient. Each of these habits has its own reasoning behind it.

Currently the car speed culture on the Trans-Canada highway is 100-110 km/hr. But perhaps while you are enjoying that natural beauty that surrounds you while driving, especially the big blue sky, you can think about the extra car exhaust that is polluting our air by burning gasoline at 100-110 km/hr rather than 90 km/hr.

With peak oil just around the corner (estimates vary that the oil production decline will take place around 2030 to 2050), fuel efficiency is on a lot of people's minds. The Toyota Prius hybrid engine is a good model to investigate. Other hybrid engines should come on the market soon.

Car pooling can be tricky. Large distances between residences and co-ordinating people's varying schedules can frustrate the best of us. But it is a good way to make friends and share your day with people. The way to convince your compatriots is to sell it. Tell them, think of the fuel you will save and think of the extra time you will have as a passenger to do work or read the newspaper. Either I or the other Signs of Change co-ordinator, Garth Hood, would be happy to discuss carpooling tips with you. E-mail me at Najat@fallsbrookcentre.ca or Garth at garth@fallsbrookcentre.ca.

If you would like to take the Signs of Change pledge and receive a free Signs of Change pledge pack which includes a tire gauge and other goodies, please visit www.fallsbrookcentre.ca/signs and scroll down to find the link.