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Cut carbon emissions by banning drive-thrus: expert

Idling in the drive-thrus in your car causes emissions says one expert
Tim-Hortons-Moncton
A drive-thru-only Tim Hortons outlet (Wikimedia Commons)

KITCHENER — Following Kitchener city council declaring a climate emergency, many were left wondering how the city would cut down on carbon emissions.

One idea proposed by some residents is getting rid of drive-thrus in the city.

Tova Davidson, executive director, Sustainable Waterloo Region came onto the Mike Farwell Show on 570 NEWS and says it was one valid solution in cutting down emissions.

"49 per cent of the carbon foot print in Waterloo Region is from transportation. It is nearly half of our impact. And if we are going to declare climate emergency then we as citizens are going to do things to reduce our impact on the environment. Transportation has to be a place that we do it and when your car is idling, consider that all of those emissions are wasted because you're just sitting there."

"The International Panel on Climate Change from the U.N. says we only have eleven years left to cut our emissions by 45 per cent or we face absolute climate disaster. There will be no way to avoid it."

However, she says there has to be a balance between environmental policies, the economy, and the community. The last thing you would want to do is harm the local economy.

"This isn't only an environmental question, and I think expanding it into 'how does this impact us as a culture and community?' is an important part of the conversation."

Davidson says there are a number of case studies out of the U.S. with different approaches to drive-thru bans, such as zoning.

"So they might say that in the downtown core where there's a higher level of pedestrians and cyclist traffic, there's a safety issue in drive thrus, that there is a reason to ban them in cores," she says. "On the outskirts of the city, where it's more of a car-culture, sometimes they will leave them there. That's one of the major things you see and that was what was explored in Minneapolis as well."

Halifax, Nova Scotia is the latest Canadian city to consider a drive-thru ban.
 


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