New Challenges

Active Transportation

I will advocate locally for safe connected bike lanes and for safe connected walking and hiking trails. “Bicycle lanes are an essential element of urban transportation planning and road safety.” Source: Association of Municipalities of Ontario in response to Ontario Bill 212.

Municipal expertise is best-positioned to make decisions on bike lanes and local transportation planning both in urban and rural areas of Muskoka. Based on local knowledge and community input, municipalities can develop transportation plans that balance traffic flow with other transportation priorities like walking and biking.

The resulting reduction of carbon pollution improves air quality, fosters healthier communities, and supports global efforts to halt climate heating.

It is time to plan for and build active transportation infrastructure in Muskoka. Talk to your local municipal councillor about what is needed to connect your neighbourhood to an active transportation network and remind MPP Graydon Smith about Doug Ford’s promise to bring back the train.

Local Shopping and Tourism

We can make Muskoka an international ecotourism destination by providing sustainable travel options that connect tourists with Muskoka’s natural habitat, accommodations, camping opportunities, and our heritage communities.

Resources

• Active Transportation for Muskoka — Climate Action Muskoka
• Do bike lanes really cause more traffic congestion? CBC
• Separated Bike Lane — Rural Design Guide
• A car-less dream for all of Muskoka — Gordon Laxer in Muskoka Region
• Muskoka and Algonquin — Ontario By Bike
• Impacts of active mobility on individual health — Science Direct
• Why Is Sustainable Transport Important? Sustainably Forward

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Get Yourselves and The Kids Outside More

I will ensure the kids get outside more and encourage independent play. “Passion is lifted from the earth itself by the muddy hands of the young; it travels along grass-stained sleeves to the heart. If we are going to save environmentalism and the environment, we must also save an endangered indicator species: the child in nature.” ~ Richard Louv

In his 2005 book “Last Child in the Woods” Richard Louv defined what teachers, researchers, and physicians were seeing in many children as Nature-Deficit Disorder.

Children have recently become more disconnected from the natural world.
Among the reasons are the proliferation of electronics; poor urban planning; increased street traffic; diminished importance of the natural world in education; and parental fear magnified by news and entertainment media.

All this contributes to a diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, obesity, and higher rates of emotional and physical illnesses. We know how to reverse this trend. Studies show that for children and adults, exposure to nature will decrease stress and violent tendencies and is vital to healthy human development.

Research also suggests that nature-deficit weakens ecological literacy and stewardship of the natural world. We must ensure all children have equitable access to outdoor spaces where they can learn, play and grow. A knowing of nature is essential for future generations to imagine a world in which they can all live in harmony with nature.

Resources

• Interview June 2024 – The Future and the New Nature Movement / Guest: Richard Louv Author of Last Child in the Woods (youtube.com)
• More Green, Less Screen: Children & Nature Network
• What is Nature-Deficit Disorder?: Children & Nature Network
• Connecting With Nature: Canadian Wildlife Federation

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Slow down, reduce carbon pollution and save $$$

I will drive at or below 100 kph on highways. Fact: Driving at 100 km/h burns 20% less fuel than driving at 120 km/h. Source: Natural Resources Canada

You can drive a vehicle with an Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and reduce carbon pollution and save money.

Based on 20,000 km/year burning 20% less fuel will reduce emissions by 920 kg CO2eq and save you $680/year.

Other techniques to cut emissions and save money include:

• Accelerate gently – imagine an open cup of coffee on the dashboard. Don’t spill it!
• Maintain a steady speed – on the highway use cruise control to maintain a steady speed.
• Coast to decelerate – every time you use your brakes, you waste your forward momentum.
• Avoid idling – turn off your engine when you’re stopped, especially while waiting at schools.
• Check tire pressure – just one tire underinflated by 56 kPa (8 psi) will increase your fuel consumption by 4%.

Consider an electric vehicle for your next ride.

“The scientific consensus is that burning fossil fuels creates a thickening blanket of heat-trapping pollution. It’s real, it’s human-caused and it’s affecting us today.” —  Louise Comeau

Resources:

• Fuel-efficient driving techniques (canada.ca)
• The Impact of Tires On Your Carbon Footprint and Your Health – Climate Action Muskoka
• Break The Idling Habit. – Climate Action Muskoka
• Re-examine your fossil fuel-free transportation options – Climate Action Muskoka

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