Concern over greenhouse gas emissions is an ever-rising topic, and the authorities feel the weight to act on such pressure.
In the recent discussions of applying a no-idling Bylaw to the Red Deer area, environmental awareness is clear, though other affects of this law are snuffed.
We are in Alberta, and what mother looks forward to stuffing her kids into an ice-box of an unheated vehicle at -30C?
Or which gruff worker, with his fancy diesel truck, wants to sacrifice the longevity of his engine, in light of the weighty consideration of cleaner air? And where will we hide our precious car-starters that will suddenly be items of criminal offence?
However, let us put these winter triflings aside and look at the direct plight: the pollution being emitted.
Certainly, enforcing no idling would cut some exhaust from the air, but a more practical solution would be for Red Deer to reorient its traffic lights so that the public is not purposely stranded at every block idling exhaust daily, corner by corner.
A certain bright individual decided it would be best and safest to control Red Deer traffic by timing lights to change inconveniently, all in attempt to ebb the road flow to a more moderate pace (albeit a scrunched but functional downtown core).
This may be a cute idea in summer conditions, but come winter, every driver knows it is much less gracious to be ground to a halt, then inch icily forward again, just gaining momentum, and suddenly be forced once more to pump the brakes in the Canadian art of stopping.
Consider the possibility of breathable air restored to our strained environment if this one issue was rectified. How many thousands of vehicles halted like cattle at every Red Deer intersection, emitting tonnes of gases, spending hours in all their minutes would be empowered to save the Earth if they could just travel at a steady pace?
What right is there to hone in on personal idling while the hypocrisy of every staged red light screams?
Someone should do a study on this: spare the emissions with better planning.
Bobbi Jo Latsky
Red Deer