Provincial Employees Lead by Example During Clean Air Day and Commuter Challenge

NOTE: A social media version of this release with high-res, downloadable photos, video and audio clips is available at http://gov.ns.ca/news/smr/2011-06-08-Clean-Air/ .

As Canada celebrates Clean Air Day today, June 8, and the Commuter Challenge, June 5-11, government employees in the province are leading by example.

Whether they run, bus, bike, carpool, rollerblade, or canoe, they are demonstrating their commitment to better health and a cleaner environment.

"Clean Air Day and the Commuter Challenge are opportunities for us all to take action for our health and our environment," said Environment Minister Sterling Belliveau.

"It's great to see provincial employees commuting in active and sustainable ways. By reducing unnecessary and harmful vehicle emissions we can all help to improve air quality and the quality of life for Nova Scotians today and in future generations."

Using sustainable transportation can greatly benefit the environment:

• A full bus takes 40 to 60 cars off the road
• Carpooling replaces up to four cars and results in less air pollution while saving time and money
• One car in five travels less than one kilometre. Most people can walk one kilometre in 10 minutes and cycle three kilometres in 15 minutes
• Transportation accounts for about 25 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions and is a major contributor to smog in urban areas
• Avoiding just 16 kilometres of driving every week eliminates about 227 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
• Every litre of gasoline produces 2.4 kilograms of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas.
• Urban vehicle exhaust can account for up to two-thirds of smog-producing pollutants. Smog is particularly harmful to the health of children, the elderly and people with cardio-respiratory problems.
• Every year, air pollution leads to more premature deaths than traffic accidents in Canada.

Clean Air Day raises awareness and encourages action on clean air and climate change issues. Since vehicles are a major contributor of air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, Nova Scotians can contribute to cleaner air by choosing more sustainable modes of transportation.

The Commuter Challenge is a nationwide event that celebrates active and sustainable transportation. It is a friendly competition between Canadian cities and workplaces to see how many people can get out of single occupancy vehicles and into healthier and more environmentally friendly ways of commuting.

Public transit, cycling, walking, rollerblading, carpooling-ride-sharing, and telecommuting are examples of sustainable transportation methods that can reduce air emissions, save on fuel costs, and contribute to better physical and mental health.

Canadian Environment Week takes place annually during the first week of June.

For information on Clean Air Day go to www.cleanairday.com. For details on the Commuter Challenge, visit www.commuterchallenge.ca. To learn more about Environment Week, go to www.ec.gc.ca.

For Nova Scotia Environment's Air Quality Branch, visit www.gov.ns.ca/nse/air and for Nova Scotia's Air Quality Health Index, go to www.gov.ns.ca/nse/aqhi. For details on Nova Scotia's Anti-Idling act, visit http://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/61st_2nd/1st_read/b114.htm.