Reading recently that Squamish is an idle-free city came to me as a surprise. There are no signs in parking lots or on the streets informing people of this, nor is there any enforcement. This lack turns something very progressive into something nonexistent. With our excessive consumption of fossil fuels destroying what we call home, there is a growing movement to create a better, greener and more sustainable world. Until these new policies and methods of new energies become implemented, we must use our own awareness, take action into our own hands and stop idling!
In various parking lots around Squamish, numerous people sit in their car and trucks with their engine running while they are either on their phone, waiting for someone to finish their shopping, drinking their coffee or simply sitting with the air conditioning running so they don’t have to feel the intense heat of these times. We must remember that idling is furthering the consumption of fossil fuels and polluting the very air we breathe.
So what can we do about it? For one, the district needs to put signs up to inform folks of Squamish’s idle-free status, but it comes down to us, the people, to implement. With a deeper awareness, we will see the connection between our own personal actions and the effects these actions have within our personal lives and within the world we live. Being aware of our own habits of idling and excessive driving, turning the car off immediately when finished parking, not starting the engine until completely ready to drive (that is, the drink is done, the phone call finished, the kids buckled in) are all important.
There are many ways to reduce our carbon footprint, from buying local foods to choosing to walk, bike or take the bus. This will save us money, fuel and more importantly, keep our planet a little cleaner for the next generation. Personal awareness can invoke great change.
Thomasina Pidgeon
Squamish
