News Release
Bell Park Academic Centre Declare “Idle Free Zone”
(Monday, October 24, 2005) - Students and staff at Bell Park Academic Centre in Lake Echo today helped Halifax Regional Municipality launch its new anti-idling program.
Mayor Peter Kelly, District 3 Councillor David Hendsbee, school officials and students kicked-off the new program, to be known as “Ladies and Gentlemen: Stop Your Engines.” To mark the launch, the school declared its student pick-up area an idle-free zone.
Mayor Kelly, who commended the school for taking the lead in promoting the new program, said “Reducing engine idling is one of the easiest ways individuals can help to improve our environment. Halifax Regional Council is committed to a healthy, sustainable, vibrant community with clean air, land, water and energy options. Together, we can make a difference in climate change and air quality.”
Vice-Principal Steven Wells said “The school wants to demonstrate leadership in the area. We have had problems in the past with exhaust from cars and buses, not only outside the school, but inside as well. By establishing an idle-free zone and directly asking our visitors not to allow their engines to idle, we can immediately improve the air quality here. Also, teaching our students about the impact of idling and other contributors to climate change will hopefully assist to be more aware and to adopt climate friendly behaviors.”
Councillor Hendsbee urged all motorists to turn off their engines while waiting at schools, transit stations, shopping centres, fast food outlets and other public places. “Emissions from these engines have a negative impact on air quality. Turning your engine off when you are parked is the right thing to do and simply requires awareness and developing new habits.”
"Reducing emissions that create greenhouse gas is a challenge that must be addressed by all levels of government," said Nova Scotia Energy Minister Cecil Clarke in a statement. "The Province is pleased to support the anti-idling campaign because it will help Nova Scotians do their part to improve our environment and lessen the effect we have on climate change."
Gas emissions from idling engines is a significant contributor to climate change, according to Natural Resources Canada. If drivers of cars and light-duty trucks in HRM were to each reduce their idling time by five minutes per day, they would prevent 16 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each day. That is enough emissions to fill 1,000 gymnasiums in one year.
Teams of “idle-free ambassadors” will be visiting locations throughout HRM where there is a heavy presence of vehicles left idling, armed with reduced idling toolkits to distribute to drivers. The kits include an information brochure, a vinyl windshield sticker and a key chain that serves as a reminder to turn the engine off when parked.
The reduced idling campaign is an HRM project, with funding from Natural Resources Canada, Province of Nova Scotia and the Climate Change Centre.
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Mayor Peter Kelly
(902) 490-4010
John O’Brien
Manager, HRM Corporate Communications
490-6531
