T he next five days are green all ov er. Not only is this Canadian Environment Week and theweek o f the National Commuter Challenge, but today is World Environment Day and Wednesdaymarks Clean Air Day . Considering that about half of Canada’s greenhouse gases come frommotor vehicle emissions, the ne xt few days are a good time to leave your car at home. Do this if you can, commuters! By KENNETH JACKSON Metro Ottawa Walk, bike or bus there — just don’t drive yourself to work this week. The city is asking Ottawa commuters to consider alternative means of getting to the office during the 2005 Commuter Challenge, which kicked off yesterday on the Ottawa River Parkway. The Commuter Challenge is a Canada-wide promotion to mark Environment Week (June 5-11), and it urges commuters to ditch the car keys and get active on the way to work. “We are trying to encourage people to look at other options of transportation,” said Daniel Spence, co-ordinator of the Ottawa Commuter Challenge. “During last year’s challenge we had over 10,000 people participate throughout the National Capital Region, which reduced more than 240 tonnes of greenhouse gases. I expect more of the same this year.” Jill Fahey, 24, said she likes the idea of biking to work. “It’s so nice out now after the winter we had, and I could win a prize for doing it,” said Fahey, one of the people who biked the parkway yesterday to help launch the challenge. “Plus, it’s great for the environment. We have to do something before we lose it.” Reducing greenhouse gases, Spence says, can be as easy to do as hopping a bus. “One (bus) trip can reduce so much,” he said. “But there is more to the challenge than the environment and, personally, I don’t focus on the environment. “It saves people money to find ways to work other than using their car and it’s a way of incorporating fitness into their daily routine.” The Canadian Automobile Association says driving 18,000 kilometres per year costs an average of $9,525 — or 52.9 cents per kilometre for a mid-size car. If that’s not enough, this year’s challenge offers added incentives. It features prizes for individuals who register online at commuterchallenge. ca, including a Kunstadt “Ottawa” Hybrid bike, a one-year OC Transpo pass and Florida Fitness memberships.
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