Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
My family and I decided to move up to Meaford about eight months ago. We came here to raise a family and live a more peaceful, connected, and community life. One of the major draws for us was all the surrounding nature. The air and water seemed cleaner.
Since settling in, we have connected with many nature enthusiasts and a strong community dedicated to earth stewardship and community sustainability. In contrast to this, we have also experienced many unpleasant situations where people have left their vehicles running for long periods of time. Whether it be waiting in a parking lot, outside the bank or a daycare, I feel that idling is an issue that many people are not well informed of. There are many myths around leaving your car running, one of them being that you save on gas.
Idling not only contributes to our carbon footprint on a national and even global scale, but it pollutes the air in the immediate surroundings and community. Some people may not realize this, but we all suffer from its implications, especially the elderly, the sick, and our children. Children take in more air per mass than adults, therefore when they are in the vicinity of an idling vehicle they inhale more of the fumes and carbon monoxide than an adult would, and since they are little it impacts their little lungs and growing cells on a larger scale. This can cause all sorts of illnesses. Meaford is a wonderful, safe, and beautiful community. Let’s maintain this and put a stop to idling.
I would love to see local businesses, daycares, and community groups stand up and support a No Idling campaign in Meaford.
For sake of our environment, our resources, and most of all our children and their future.
Sincerely,
Naomi Assenheim, Meaford
