Election leaving sizeable impression on environment
Posted Apr 6, 2011 04:51:28 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
With private planes, tour buses and travel itineraries as long as the list of eligible voters, the election’s environmental impact has seemingly become as important as the voter impact.
And this is sparking some environmental organizations to ask parties to make some changes to shrink their growing carbon footprint.
Clare Demerse, from the Pembina Institute, says the use of planes, trains, buses and even election lawn signs are all contributing significant greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.
However, she says planes have the biggest footprint and a simple change that could make a difference would be to use more buses.
“Go sequentially. Start out West, work your way out East,” she says. “Maybe you (party leaders) don’t need quite so many people traveling with you, for example.”
She adds, parties need to make sure all campaign materials like brochures and signs are made from recycled paper.
The other option is to buy carbon offsets, which all of the parties except the Conservatives have promised to do.
In 2008, the party leaders generated over 1,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in just over a month. The average Canadian creates five tonnes a year.
