November 1998 Issue No. 20

Editors Comment by Dennis Whitfield

Climate change has made it into the news largely due to the hurricanes and nearly worldwide plethora of floods. I first heard of the concept in about 1965. The basic principle that certain gases, particularly carbon dioxide, absorb solar radiation reflected from the Earth's surface better than others is a fact. What is still contentious is whether or not anthropogenic sources of such gases will lead to a warming of the Earth's oceans and atmosphere over and above the natural fluctuations. I am sure that everyone has read some of the predictions that have been made if this warming actually happens.

In 1965 I was very sceptical and until about 2 years ago I remained sceptical even though I have continuously read about this subject. My conversion from scepticism started when I first heard about the melting of the world's glaciers, about 10 years ago. Since then incremental facts have accumulated which show that the temperature at the ground level and of the oceans have actually increased. This has been accompanied by a substantial increase in greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide(CO₂), methane (CH₄), and various halogenated synthetic gases. Furthermore, strong evidence has accumulated that these increases can be linked to human industrial activities. Other facts can be found in this issue or in the references. As well, the contributions of the degradation of eco-systems, particularly grasslands, forests and rivers, also impact climate change in complex and poorly understood ways.

Knowing at least the gist of the facts helps to concentrate the mind on the problem but does little to actually change the course of events. It should be noted that even if 80% reductions in greenhouse gases were achieved by the end of next year it would still be some 40-60 years before the situation could be expected to improve. This time lag arises due to the slow mixing of ocean waters, the time cycles of forest growth and other meteorological and biological forces. What can an individual or small group realistically do beyond the obvious reduce, reuse, recycle?

There is a large, well-organized lobby which has resorted to bringing up spurious arguments as reasons to do nothing. Arguing about this irrelevant rhetoric is not productive. I think the best strategy is to emphasize the growth possibilities of the alternatives. These range from highly technical devices to minimize emissions to the whole range of alternate energy sources. The enormous job creation potential of conservation measures should always be emphasized.

At a local level we are seeing the possibilities of light rail, limits on parking provisions, the beginnings of a revolt against road building and tax breaks for transit passes. Each of these will be commented on in this issue.

***Upcoming Events***

Next AFO meeting on Tuesday December 8th 1998 at the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton headquarters at 111 Lisgar Street - usually training room C in the south east ground floor corner of the building. Accessible from OC Transpo transitway stops on Elgin or from the Transitway stop at the Confederation bridge. Phone the AFO contact number 237-1549 or check out the WEB site for further information. The subsequent meeting on January 12th 1999 (2^nd tuesday of the month).

We are in the process of submitting a proposal to the RMOC to hire someone to coordinate the "Car-Free Commuter Challenge - 1999". Anyone interested in such a position or in helping coordinate their workplace or helping in any way is asked to contact AFO as soon as possible.

Auto Free Zone

We apologize to all of you, our loyal members, for the lateness of AFZone. We were busy. But here it is, finally, and we expect to get the next issue out after a shorter interval than usual. We want to keep in touch with you and hope eo see many of you on the AFO newsgroup and at our monthly meetings.

Editors: Dennis Whitfield can be contacted at 565-0578 dmw@conscoop.ottawa.on.ca and Cathy Woodgold 231-4311 an588@freenet.carleton.ca. Richard Briggs 237-1549 is the general contact person. Auto Free Ottawa's mail address is Box 57006, Ottawa ON CANADA K1R 1A1.

AUTO-FREE ZONE is published quarterly and is mailed to subscribers or members of Auto-Free Ottawa (see form inside last page). Opinions expressed in AFZ do not necessarily reflect those of Auto-Free Ottawa members. Articles should be submitted on diskette (any format but preferably unformatted txt files) or by E-mail and limited to 1,000 words. Letters to AFZ must be marked "For publication" (include address and phone number which will not be published), and are subject to selection and editing. Articles reprinted from other publications are abridged to save space.

Thanks to the following for contributing articles (original or borrowed), graphics, ideas or their time: Cathy Woodgold, Russell McOrmond, Michael Richardson, Richard Briggs, Linda Hoad, Chris Bradshaw, Mike Buckthought , Timothy lane and Brett Delmage. Thanks to Bombardier Inc. for the pictures of people using Light Rail.

AFZ Graphics: Cathy Woodgold

Deadline for next issue: Jan. 1, 1998. Tentative Topic: The Rights of the CarFree

ISSN 1195-1958

Auto-Free Ottawa Mailing Lists

Auto-Free Ottawa makes extensive use of electronic discussion areas. They are used for announcements, for general discussion and also for event planning. There is also a support area for people that are making a transition to a car-free lifestyle. The relevant E-mail addresses (all @flora.org) are:

afo-announce A read-only area. General posts are not accepted to this list, but you can subscribe to it. Notices of upcoming meetings and events are posted here. Subscribers to this area receive at most three messages a month: the meeting agenda, the meeting minutes, and a notice about upcoming events.

afo-info This is a write-only area: you can not subscribe to it. Rather, you can use this address as a general place to send questions and queries related to AFO.

afo The general discussion area is available for discussion and debate about any topic that is within the AFO mandate. Subscribers to this list automatically receive all

announcements. You need not subscribe to both afo-announce and afo. This list is available on some machines as a newsgroup and is archived.

afo-vols A mailing list that is used for discussion and planning of upcoming events. Some of the debates on the main afo list are long winded and some active volunteers find themselves running short on time, so this list was created. We suggest coming to a couple of meetings prior to subscribing to this list. This list is not archived.

A Childs Opinion by Anna Hoffman

Anna and I were talking the other day about global warming. I mentioned that we already do the single most important thing we can do as individuals in not having a car. A little later in the conversation Anna said that if she were queen of the world she would stop all war and get rid of all cars. She said "People could use buses and bicycles and feet. People forget they have feet." It is my sincere wish that Anna will hold her 10 year old's dream into her adult life.

Anna gave me her permission to share these thoughts with all of you.

A Commentary on the Light Rail Pilot Project for Ottawa by Timothy Lane

Last October, members of Transport 2000 had a booth set up at RailFare (a rail enthusiasts' convention) at Algonquin College. We had posters on display and videos and slide presentations running to explain to the public the Carleton University Light Rail Project.

A man walked up to the table, watched the video for a bit, looked at the slide show and the posters, and then said to me, "You know, I think they should put the tracks back in to Aylmer."

I asked, "Why do you say that?" He replied, "Well, I drive a bus for the Outaouais, and .."Huh?" I interrupted, "You drive a bus for the S.T.O. (Societe de Transport de l'Outaouais) and you want to see the tracks go back to Aylmer?"

"Yes" he said, listen to what I do: In the morning, I take a bus out of the garage in Hull, drive empty out to Aylmer, pick up one load of passengers, and take them to Hull. I return, empty, to Aylmer and pick up another load and take them to Hull. And that's my morning shift! If the train was running, I could do a route that just circulates around Aylmer, and take people to the train. I could do many more loads in a shift. It would be much more efficient."

I thanked the gentleman as he left our booth to enjoy the rest of his convention, and marvelled how the workers in a large organization can have a better grasp of fundamentals than the executives running the business!"

Minimum Design Requirements for the Carleton University Light Rail Project by Timothy Lane T2000

The views expressed in this document are those of the author and not necessarily those of T2000 or any other person or group.

This pilot light rail project will have stations and vehicles that are FULLY BARRIER FREE.

The initial pilot project will run from the Greenboro Transitway Station and Park and Ride Lot at the south end to the Transitway near Scott St. and Bayview Avenue at the north end, using the CPR Elwood subdivision.

Trains will run on a 15 minute headway in both directions and will meet at a new passing track to be constructed at Carleton University.

The fares will be fully integrated with OC Transpo, and will use a proof of payment system similar to OC Transpo's articulated buses. Transfers

between bus and train or vice versa will be free, except when transferring between train & westbound premium fare express buses at Bayview.

The vehicles chosen for the line should be of modern low-floor Diesel Light rail car design that can readily carry wheelchairs, strollers, and bicycles.

The station at Greenboro will be built by extending the existing pedestrian bridge over the Transitway westward over the bus parking area to a platform and shelter to be built beside the CPR track.

The next station heading north will be at the heating plant for the Buildings at Confederation Heights just south of Heron Road. It will consist of platforms and shelters of simple, inexpensive design. Ramps and walkways will lead out of the shallow cutting here to directly access the buildings west of the rail line, and the sidewalk along Heron Road.

The CPR bridge over the Rideau River will have a pedestrian bridge added to its west side to allow safe pedestrian/cyclist access between Carleton University and Vincent Massey Park. The station at Carleton University will consist of simple platforms beside the track and temporary pre-fab bus shelters. It will be situated opposite the intersection of Campus Avenue and Library Road. The station will include a passing track of sufficient length to handle at least a two-car train(50 meters).

The station at Carling Avenue will be located north of Carling on the east side of the CPR track. It will be accessed by a staircase from the pedestrian path beside Dow Honda. The platform will extend north at least 50 meters. There will be an elevator tower beside the platform. The elevator should be at least 2.5 meters deep inside to accommodate bicycles. A small amount of rock will have to be removed to provide for a platform of sufficient width (3.5 meters). This will be the only station of the initial five on the line to require an elevator.

An additional station should be considered for Young Street just south of the Queensway. This station could be designed like the Carling station and could also include a ramp leading up to Gladstone Avenue. This would give access to the businesses and residential neighbourhoods on both sides of the Queensway and both sides of the rail line. The scheduling implications of this additional station will need to be studied, but the author feels that the additional ridership generated would justify any delay in the schedule.

The station at Bayview should be designed to provide direct access from the train to every bus route (regular, peak period, and express) on the Transitway. This is ESSENTIAL to the success of this project. This means that any thought of running shuttle buses from a temporary rail station to the next Transitway station, thus requiring a double transfer, should be dismissed out of hand. David Jeanes and the author have designed two versions of a reasonably simple and inexpensive station at Bayview, which have been submitted to Regional staff. Regional staff and the Dillon consultants have come up with other, simple versions of a station in the Bayview-Champagne Street area. By raising the track at Bayview, the vertical height difference between the Transitway and the rail line can be reduced to the point where elevators would not be required. This will save at least $1 million in construction costs for the Bayview Station.

David Jeanes design of the Bayview station included a ticket kiosk. Upon reviewing the plan, Regional staff commented that since most people arriving at the station would be doing so on a transfer, the added "expense" of a staffed kiosk didn't seem to be justified. Our reason for having a ticket kiosk wasn't primarily to sell tickets. It was for the security aspect of having a set of eyes watching this admittedly out-of-the-way station location. On further thought, I realized that, because the frequency of train service will initially be every 15 minutes, we will want to give passengers something to do if they should happen to get off a bus just as a train has departed. Give them a chance to SHOP! The ticket kiosk will sell coffee, donuts,

newspapers, magazines, etc., and will therefore become a PROFIT centre rather than an expense.

Even if the light rail project is unsuccessful, the Bayview station can remain as a Transitway station for the Hintonburg-City Centre area. (Of course, we know that the pilot light rail project will be a success - the Regional staff and their consultants will ensure that it will be successful!) When it is deemed a success, we will want to extend the service to Hull and to downtown Ottawa. The station and track layout at Bayview should therefore be built so as to facilitate these extensions without any major re-work.

Drive Clean - Why not in Ottawa? by Linda Hoad

On August 22 1997, Environment and Energy MinisterNorm Sterling launched the Drive Clean vehicle emission testing program for Ontario. In his press release the minister states: Keeping our vehicles in good working order and testing them periodically is a small price to pay for cleaner air and a healthier environment.

The press release and background material contain

many interesting reasons why the program is needed and describe the many benefits expected:

1) Smog aggravates a wide range of serious health ailments, especially respiratory illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis. Based on studies by Health Canada and others, the Ministry of Energy and Environment (MOEE) has determined that smog causes about 1,800 premature deaths each year in Ontario. It also exacts a severe toll on the environment by harming vegetation materials and crops.

2) On-road vehicles are the largest single source of smog-causing emissions in Ontario. They release significant amounts of the contaminants that react together in the presence of sunlight to form smog -- including nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and microsopic dust particles.

3) Targeting the smog problem with Drive Clean will also help in the fight against climate change. Vehicles are Ontario's largest source of carbon dioxide (CO₂), a major climate change gas, as well as toxic contaminants such as carbon monoxide (CO) and benzene.

4) The first phase of the passenger car and light truck program is expected to lead to a 30,000-tonne reduction in yearly discharges of smog-causing NOx and VOCs in the GTA and Hamilton-Wentworth Region. The heavy-duty vehicle component of Drive Clean will lead to a further reduction of 220 tonnes of fine particulate emissions.

5) Well-tuned vehicles also consume less gas. By taking a test that costs about the same as one tank of gas, motorists may save as many as 10 fill-ups over the course of two years.

6) When fully implemented, Drive Clean will help reduce CO₂ emissions by 900,000 tonnes per year and carbon monoxide emissions by 30,000 tonnes per year.

I recall hearing Norm Sterling state on radio that Ottawa was not included because of the large number of Quebec drivers found here. Since these cars could not be tested under an Ontario program, he seems to think that it is reasonable to test none of the vehicles driving in Ottawa-Carleton! I have written to ask him why not Ottawa and also why the phase-in period is so long, given the great benefits and the low cost to individual motorists. Perhaps if more of us write, he could be persuaded to change his mind.

The Press release and related material can be found at: http://www.ene.gov.on.ca

Days of Record Smog Alerts Brett Delmage (July 21 1998)

A big THANK YOU to those of you who didn't drive your polluting automobiles these past few days. Those of us who literally have trouble breathing appreciation your consideration. (Do the rest of you care about the toxic air that your children and families are forced to breath? More than 70% of the air pollution in Ottawa-Carleton is caused by private automobiles.)

So reads the anonymous large-letter (Wordperfect) message I put on the general company bulletin board today.

After the Citizens for Safe Cycling (CfSC) picnic last night I was coughing for 4 hours... and I only cycled 3 km home, not the usual 20, for fear of my health. I could not sleep well. My eyes were burning today on the way in to work; again I took the bus most of the way because I was concerned about cycling the whole 20 km. I have had enough. I'm mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore. I gather I did raise a few eyebrows today from people who read my message. I hope they stopped and thought about it... and keep thinking about it.

Picture Borrowed from Car Busters. AFO has a subscription from Magazine & Resource Centre, 44 Rue Bordeau, 69001 Lyon, France

Tax Parking, Not Transit by Cathy Woodgold

Employers currently can provide free vehicle parking to their employees as a non-taxable benefit; but if they provide free transit passes, the employees have to pay income tax on it. This is unfair and is a major obstacle to the setting up of incentive programs to environmentally-friendly commuting.

Now there is a campaign to change this. Two OCTranspo bus drivers have spearheaded a coalition of organizations such as the Lung Association to change this law. OCTranspo is distributing pamphlets on buses encouraging people to write to the Hon. Paul Martin, the finance minister, urging him to make transit passes tax-free.

Transport 2000 Canada Hotline #461, 5 September 1998 (Bert Titcomb reporting for Darrell Richards)

RMOC Approves Next Change in Light Rail Project [Light Rail in Ottawa Carleton] Transportation Committee at the Regional Municipality of Ottawa Carleton approved the next phase of the light rail project at a meeting September 2 by a very strong margin of support. The Committee recommendation goes to full Council September 9. Council is unlikely to reverse the Committee decision, but amendments could provide a surprise. The Committee recommended that the CPR north-south corridor from Bayview in LeBreton Flats to Greenboro transit station in Ottawa South be selected for the pilot project. Future extensions to Barrhaven, Airport, Hull and downtown Ottawa are to be considered after the pilot has been tested. The Committee recommended a maximum $16 million for capital and rail cars, and operating costs not to exceed the average OC Transpo cost for the same level of ridership.

A background consultant report found that the rail project would attract about 1.75 million annual riders after one year of operation, and this would approximately double to 3.8 million annual riders in the year 2021. It determined that the cost of implementing a pilot project would be about $16 million, and that operating costs per passenger would be in the range of OC Transpo costs. In presentations to the Committee, consultants from IBI Group and KPMG defended the business case for recommending the project go ahead. Transport 2000 member David Jeanes was a member of the Project Steering Committee, and those involved praised his contribution. Councillor Clive Doucet also said that Transport 2000's presentation to committee last May was the best he had heard in six years on Council. Tim Lane's famous slide show of the rail corridor has been called back for repeat performances at community meetings.

Eds. Note (D.W.) The proposal was approved by the Transportation Committee and is awaiting budget approval.

NEW APPROACH FOR GREEN HOUSE Talks

September 22, 1997 Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society)

John C. Topping Jr. is the president of the Climate Institute, a leading international non-governmental organization focussed largely on policy and scientific aspects of climate change, The Washington, D.C.-based institute, which has an annual budget of just under $1 million, is supported about equally by the US government, foreign governments and international institutions and foundations.

Suppose the developed countries by some fluke could agree in Kyoto on say a 10% emissions reduction by 2010. Would this create problems?

There is a real risk that such an agreement would create a kind of emissions entitlement setup that freezes the system. If we are going to stabilize concentrations in the atmosphere, which is the goal of the climate convention, this will require far, far more than the stabilization of emissions. It will require roughly a 60% reduction in emissions worldwide. What that probably translates to, given the need to work out some kind of equitable arrangement between countries of very disparate per capita levels, would be that countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) would ultimately be required to have something in the neighbourhood of an 85 % reduction from current levels.

That is not about to happen through a traditional command and control regulatory system. The negotiations right now are considering something that is largely command and control. Such a mechanism can be fairly effective in dealing with modest reductions of 10 to 20% . But for something really radical, it's rare that command-and-control is effective.

November 3, 1997 Chemical & Engineering News (American Chemical Society)

US cars, trucks and buses burn more than 140 billion gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel annually.

The Gas Guzzler Campaign Newsletter, September/October 1997

Another innovative incentive is being offered to committees in Fairfield and New Haven (Connecticut) counties this year to entice them to use alternative modes of transportation. Commuters from these counties can obtain discounts from 115 different area merchants just by using alternative modes of transportation such as car-pooling, van-pooling, taking the bus or train, biking, walking or telecommuting at least once a week.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is sponsoring "The Ride Stuff," a commuter rewards program created to encourage the use of alternative transportation in Fairfield and New Haven counties. As a member of "The Ride Stuff," commuters will have the opportunity to obtain discounts from a wide variety of merchants with over 3500 locations throughout the state and nationwide including: car care centres, entertainment venues, recreational facilities, health clubs, restaurants, hotels and photo stores. For more information please call MetroPool at 203-324-6700

Walk a Child to School Day web page at: http://www.web.net/~greenest/wcsd-index.htm

On Walk a Child to School Day, parents across Canada and the United States will walk their children to school. By involving your school, you can help to create safer streets, healthier students, reduced traffic around schools and cleaner air to breathe. To make this happen, all you have to do is register your school by telling us the name of your school, your name, mailing address, phone, fax and e-mail address. Greenest City is promoting this event within the Toronto area. If you live in another part of Canada, we have compiled a variety of resources you can use to help coordinate WCSD in your region.

As an incentive to make this event successful, Greenest City will be holding a prize draw for all schools and children in the Toronto area. Only the children that walk will be eligible. We understand that some students live too far to walk, but they can still qualify. We will provide information to help you coordinate drop off points near your school so that all your students can walk to school on this day.

Greenest City 57 Douglas Ave. Toronto, Ontario M5M 1G4, Canada Tel:(416) 782-3896 Fax:(416) 488-2296 Internet: www.web.net/~greenest

The Coming Oil Crisis by Colin J. Campbell $29.95, Mass Market Paperback, 210 pages, Published by Petroconsultants, Inc.Publication date: 1997,

ISBN: 0906522110

Energy apocalypse looms as the world runs out of oil, Forget the Caspian bonanza. Peter Beaumont and John Hooper in Rome report on claims that producers misled everybody Sunday July 26, 1998 Observer (London) The world faces a devastating oil crisis in the early years of the new millennium, according to a new assessment of conventional oil reserves.

Global production will peak as early as 2002, then decline over the next 70 years, says the analysis. As oil stocks decline, prices will rise steeply making the oil crises of 1973 and 1979 look 'minor and transitory' by comparison. The warnings of environmentalists in the Seventies appear now to have been prescient.

The fears, which emerged as oil prices hit a 25-year low, contradict the conventional industry view of continuing low prices for the forseeible future, suppressed by increasing reserves of oil and the development of new areas such as the Caspian Sea....

The concept of oil shortages remains contentious because of the many cries of 'wolf' by oil economists after the oil crises of the Seventies that all available stocks would be burnt up by the end of the twentieth century. This time, however, the warnings are being sounded by a small group of international petroleum geologists who have built new mathematical models to predict peak production and ensuing decline. Their model is based on a formula devised in the Fifties by geologist M. King Hubbert and used with extreme accuracy throughout the oil industry to predict peak yield in individual fields. Now applied on a global scale, the model shows oil production as a bell curve with the apex at the point when half of the available oil has been used up. Suddenly the glass that the world had considered to be almost full has been revealed to be half empty.

Researchers have also used an offshoot of chaos theory to plot probable distributions of as yet undiscovered oil and suggest that the majority of the world's oil has already been discovered.

The leading proponents of the new theory are Dr Colin Campbell and Dr Jean Laherrere, who have both been employed in the oil industry for 40 years and are currently working with Petroconsultants, owner of one of the most authoritative databases on oil production and reserves, in Geneva....

Campbell and Laherrere are not alone in predicting peak production early in the next millennium. Separate analysis carried out by Dr Craig Bond Hatfield at the University of Toledo, Ohio, and Dr John Edwards, of the University of Ohio, using official US Geological Survey Figures. says conventional oil production will peak early in the next century even with the most optimistic estimates....

In a paper submitted to the journal Nature last year, he wrote that in 1988 and 1989 Venezuela, Iran, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, all members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries reported upward revisions of 277 billion barrels of oil, accounting for almost the total growth in global oil reserves between 1987 and 1990.

Some oil executives are also convinced of the dangers ahead, including Franco Bernabe, chief executive of the Italian oil company Eni SpA....

"My forecast is that between 2000 and 2005 the world will be reaching peak production from our known fields," Bernabe said. "After that output will decline.' But demand, he added, would continue to rise inexorably.....

How Long Can Oil Supply Grow? by Dr. C. B. Hatfield Copyright Guardian Media Group plc.1998

Eds. Note For more information on this subject see http://dieoff.org/

A web page for Jane Holtz Kay's new book Asphalt Nation is up at http://www.preservenet.com/AsphaltNation.html.

It includes a description of the book, excerpts, and an e-mail address to contact if you want to interview Jane for an article or on a talk show. Jane Holtz Kay came to Ottawa on October 21, 1998 and gave a talk at the RMOC building. AFO contributed to the financing of this talk.

The talk was divided into the same sections as the book namely: the problem, the history and what can be done.

Take the Car-free Commuter Challenge by Mike Buckthought (article in Peace and Environment News ,PEN, May/June 1998)

On June 1-5, join hundreds of other green commuters in Ottawa/Hull and other cities, and take the Car-free Commuter Challenge: an environment- friendly competition that encourages alternative transportation. All you have to do is walk, bicycle, bus, rollerblade or car-pool to work or school, and keep track of how far you've gone.

Reductions in air pollution will be estimated from distance travelled, resulting in an environmental impact assessment for everyone who has participated. Last year, 1139 people reduced pollution by about 5 tonnes. The event also includes challenges between cities, schools and workplaces to see who can reduce pollution the most by using green transportation.

How can you get involved? Try to get your school or workplace in the Challenge. This isn't as difficult as it may seem, it may be as simple as putting up lots of posters. We are also looking for volunteers to help with registration, and city-wide postering for 1999.

Mike Buckthought is a member of OPIRG-Carleton and Auto-Free Ottawa, and does not own or drive a car.

CAR-FREE COMMUTER CHALLENGE - RESULTS - JUNE 11, 1998

During Environment Week, June 1-5, over 14,500 people in Ottawa/Hull, London, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria used green transportation to commute to work or school. They walked, biked, bused, rollerbladed, telecommuted or car-pooled - instead of driving a car. They were taking part in an environment-friendly competition to see which community could reduce air pollution the most by using green transportation.

This year's winner is Calgary, with 6969 people participating (0.82% participation rate), followed by Victoria (1138 participants, 0.36% participation), Ottawa/Hull (2227 participants, 0.22% participation), Vancouver (3740 participants, 0.20% participation), and London, Ontario (444 participants, 0.11% participation).

In Ottawa/Hull, 2227 green commuters participated in the Car-free Commuter Challenge, which included challenges between different workplaces and schools across the region. The school challenge was won by Gloucester High School (60% participation). The workplace challenge winners were awarded based on percentage participation, as well as reduction in pollution per person:

(Organizations with population 1-9:) McOrmond Consulting (100% participation), Dave's Recycled Cycles (15.3 kg/person)

(Organizations with population 10-50:) Apoptogen/CHEO Research Institute (76% participation) Agriculture Canada/Environment Bureau/Sir John Carling Building (8.9 kg/person)

(Organizations with population 51-499:) Cancer Research Group/Ottawa Regional Cancer Centre (50% participation, 4 kg/person)

(Organizations with population greater than or equal to 500:) Auditor General of Canada (26% participation) Mitel (3.9 kg/person)

Total reductions in air pollution were estimated using Environment Canada's MOBILE 5C model. By using green transportation, the 2227 participants in Ottawa/Hull's Car-free Commuter Challenge reduced air pollution by about 50 tonnes of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other pollutants. By participating in the Challenge, they helped to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, which contributes to climate change, and they reduced smog and acid rain.

They also demonstrated that environment friendly transportation such as cycling and walking is a viable alternative to cars for people of all ages and backgrounds. Participants included high school and university students, government workers and retirees, and even a Buddhist monk who said he was cycling to Toronto.

The Car-free Commuter Challenge was organized by volunteers from Auto-Free Ottawa, Conservation Co-operative Homes, OPIRG-Carleton, the FLORA Community WEB, and workers and students at workplaces across the region. Printing of pamphlets for distribution on buses was generously provided by OC Transpo. The organizers wish to thank all participants and volunteers.

For more information about the Car-free Commuter Challenge, contact: 237-1549, <http://www.flora.org/commuter/challenge>

AIR POLLUTION, CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN HEALTH

Dr David Suzuki did speak at a public forum in Ottawa that explored the threats to our health of air pollution and changes in global climate. The meeting was held in Ottawa on October 6th at the Alumni Theatre, Southam Hall, Carlton University at 7 p.m. A report called "Taking Our Breath Away - The Health Effects of Air Pollution and Climate Change" is available from AFO or the David Suzuki Foundation, suite 219-2211 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6K 4S2 (http://www.vkool.com/suzuki)

Eds. In response to a question about local Climate Change Initiatives this was posted to the AFO web site by Chris Bradshaw.

Both the City of Ottawa and the Region are part of the "club" of cities committed to major reductions in greenhouse gases by 2008. The City has been working on this longer, and did a publicity campaign with the Sierra Club more than a year ago (billboards, etc.) And Carolyn Cahill of the City is now at the National Roundtable dealing with that issue.

And the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has started a major effort with EnvCan funding, and they have used it to hire Sierra Club's Climate Change expert, Louise Comeau to work for them.

I think it goes to show that the impacts are global and the initiative is coming from the global level down.

PROPOSAL FOR A COALITION OF LOCAL GROUPS - Also posted to the AFO web site Chris Bradshaw.

Yes. I am about to call a meeting of the green transportation groups and the two traffic-reduction coalitions to start a broader initiative to systematically push for both the 'green transportation hierarchy' and the 'living locally' agenda. I floated that idea to these groups during our common planning for the Jane Holtz Kay talk last month. I think the formation of an OC Transpo Users Association would add the 'third leg' on the alternatives-mode 'stool' (until the fourth 'leg,' a taxi-users group, is formed) and, with the current transit review, should go ahead first. Any thoughts?

Posted to the AFO Web site by danroy

Does AFO?. have an official stand on mass transit, and commuter rail in particular? I for one, am as against this subsidised contributor to urban sprawl as I am to the automobile, and that's pretty strong! I wonder if light rail/commuter rail/public transit isn't often just accepted automatically by us in the anti-car movement, without a decent critique of the forces behind it, and its effects. Comments?

Posted to the AFO web site by Anthony Glaser, aglaser@engsoc.carleton.ca

http://www.engsoc.carleton.ca/~aglaser

Hi everyone,

I'm a vollunteer with Recycle Cycles at Carleton. We promote cycling by fixing up old donated bikes and selling them at no profit, or giving them away.

Recycle Cycles has a problem finding space to work in. People have donated space in the past, but their priorities change, and we are forced to move on.

We need a permanent workshop, and we've come to the conclusion that we are going to have to lease some space. Does anyone have any ideas on how we could either find some kind of permanent donated space, or raise funds for leasing one?

Any suggestions are appreciated.

I am a Brazilian Journalist and I am interested in writing an article about Auto Free Groups and Car-free cities projects around the world. I would like to make a short interview with one of your members. here are the questions I want you to answer:

1) Why is the car such a villain for the quality of life on cities?

2) How could we change all of our culture built on these century, totally based on car use?

3) Is it possible to face the car industry power?

4) A major part of the western countries' cities were planned for the use of car. Los Angeles is a clear example of that. Sao Paulo, as well, have been planned for car. The city budget have been used on avenues, tunnels and bridges, while the number of buses had decreased on the last 10 years and for more than 10 years we have not had any new subway station completed in the city. Could that kind of cities, where travels can last until two hours, leave the car use?

I have tried to find some of these groups outside Europe, USA and Canada, but I couldn't find them on Internet. If you have any contact with any of these groups in other countries, and mainly in Brazil, please send me an e-mail with their telephone number, address or e-mail address.

From now I would like to thank you for your answers.Sincerely Yours,

Rogerio Wassermann Journalist, "O Estado de Sao Paulo", E-mail: wasser@estado.com.br, Telephone nr.: 00 55 11 856-2918, Fax nr.: 00 55 11 857-0638, Sao Paulo - Brazil

Excerpted answers from AFO members (AFO archives)

1) It separates people from each other. People in cars don't usually say "good afternoon" when passing each other. They might make an ugly loud honk when passing a friend, if they see them. People on streets with lots of cars don't tend to know their neighbours.

1) By threatening to kill people, it slows down pedestrians, who have to wait to cross streets. The free motion of pedestrians through a city is one of the basic functions of a city which is interfered with by the car. Pedestrians are needed for the economy, for example. People rarely buy stuff while sitting in a car. By interfering with pedestrians, the car causes a reduction in pedestrian traffic, resulting in fewer customers entering stores. "Oh, I don't have time to go to one more store; I would have to cross that big street."

2) Our culture is not totally based on car use! There have always been significant numbers of people who get around without cars. I don't use a car. Over half the households in downtown Toronto do not have cars, although their incomes are higher than in the suburbs, where more households (but not all!) have cars.

Easy: just increase the percentage of households that don't have cars. People find their own individual solutions to their transportation needs. Governments can help the process along by changing the incentives. For example, free parking should be taxed, but let employers give out bus passes tax-free. (Now it's the other way around here!!)

3) Is it possible to face the car industry power?

Certainly. There are many examples in history of democracy prevailing over big powers.

A final comment: consider the effect of the car culture on children. Children get little benefit from cars, since they can't drive. But they experience a large share of the negative aspects of cars. Children are kept indoors for safety, in large part because they could quickly die if they walked onto the road. It seems ridiculous to have a city where a large fraction of the population can't safely walk out their own front door; for example, a 2-year-old can't be allowed out alone 5 seconds before her parents or she might be killed. Wouldn't it be better if we built cities where children could play outside safely while their parents washed the dishes? Wouldn't it be better if children could walk to their friends' houses more often -- if there weren't streets with heavy traffic in their way?

In response to the Heart and Stroke foundation giving out cars as prizes for a fundraiser by Chris Bradshaw

Call 1-888-551-1111 (ext 700) and register YOUR complaint about promoting cars to fight Heart and Stroke disease. I also found the choice of prizes contradictory. There is more than low-fitness as a negative impact on heart-health:

1) driving causes stress, e.g., road rage

2) driving reduces therapeutic connections between people and causes stress to _other_ road users

3) carbon monoxide levels inside the car (where it is higher than outside) causes the heart to work harder

4) increases access to and need to consume fast-foods, which are high in cholesterol and salt and are eaten under conditions that inhibit proper digestion

5) car expenditures causes financial stress

6) car-dependency increases pace of life that produces its own anxiety. Then there are yet ways that driving contributes to other health problems, e.g., lungs, injuries, contamination of food cycle, etc. And, since the society is promoting the cars as a prize, they are encouraging people to think of a car as a reward, rather than as a utility. My "Using our Feet to Reduce our Footprint" paper describes how, of the seven categories of rewards people seek (as compensation for resentment they feel living a life they neither understand or can influence), driving and owning a car satisfies six!

1-Taking risks (exceeding the speed limit)

2-Alter one's mood (getting high)

3-Impress others (using car to denote "success")

4-Indulge one's fancies (adding luxury accessories)

5-Control/intimidate others (driver authority, intimidation of vulnerable road users)

6-Divert one's attention from troubles (Distract the mind by driving or just playing the stereo))

7-Shut out others (single-occupancy is a form of cocooning)

Chris Bradshaw

PEN Article from a special issue on local groups by D.W.

Auto Free Ottawa(AFO) is a group of people who have joined together with the hope of making the world a better place. We have identified the automobile culture as one of the most pervasive negative influences on the quality of our lives. Many of us live without owning cars and all of us limit our use of cars. Ottawa has a number of activist transportation groups which include Citizens for Safe Cycling and Ottawalk, however, our intention is to cover a broader range of interests. Our focus goes beyond walking and cycling even though these are critical to our vision of the future. We welcome contributions from any members or the general public. Since the above goals conflict with the automobile/oil financed media it is difficult to have a rational discussion about the car culture in the main stream media. Thus, the PEN is one of the venues for such discussions. For example, there is now a broad agreement that oil resources will run out between 2040 and 2050 yet there is very little public discussion about what the human race will do once there is no more oil. This eventuality is not mentioned in the region's 25 year Transportation Master Plan even though its implications will have a profound effect on transportation in the region. Over the years AFO has supported a number of efforts aimed at promoting car free living. One that received prominent coverage in the PEN is an ongoing effort to have the ByWard market area pedestrianized. Currently AFO is helping to organize a public forum on Light Rail, "Light Rail. Yea or Nay?". This subject has and continues to receive attention in the PEN.

For other information on Climate Change please contact AFO. For example, we have the text of a talk given in Ottawa by Sir Robert May, the science advisor to the British prime minister. It includes a summary of the findings of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Environment Canada has a series of pamphlets a particularly interesting one is Water - Vulnerable to Climate Change (Freshwater series A-9, ISBN 0-662-18080-1). Also of interest is "Rachaels Environmental Weekly" by Peter Montague which is available on the web at http://www.monitor.net/rachel/ Of particular interest are #466 "Climate Change, Infectious Diseases Part 1"; #577 Beyond Kyoto; #596 "A New Disinformation Campaign". The last identifies the persons and organizations orchestrating the anti-reform movement. Also in the magazine Nature vol393, p325-332 is a long article on "Global Warming and the Stability of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet" by Michael Oppenheimer.

The most recent OTTAWALK newsletter (no. 36 Fall 1998) has two draft position papers on Public Transit and Parking, both are highly recommended. Besides all the above articles AFO has copies of Auto-Free Times, CarBusters, Transport-2000 newsletters etc.

Some members of AFO have been attending meetings and participating in events organized by the City Centre Coalition. This group was organized to oppose the Bronson street and Alta Vista expressways. On account of this a number of actions have been taken to oppose the construction of new ramps at Walkely road and Hunt Club drive. They also have been supporters of the light rail initiative. Most recently they are supporting the Centretown Community association's proposal to have the number of lanes on Elgin street reduced during the upcoming renovation.

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