Driving the message home

Photo: Contributed - Our Horizon

Duncan Gillespie wants people to know how much damage they are doing to the environment every time they start their car.

The 18-year-old Coldstream youth is so passionate about the fight against climate change, he approached Vernon city officials to enlist their aid.

Gillespie was in council chambers Monday, asking councillors and the mayor to endorse a plan to put warning labels on gas-pump nozzles similar to those on cigarette packages.

He argued by making people more aware of the consequences of driving, they will become actively involved in the movement to save the planet.

“We're the cause, but we can't see the effects,” he told council, adding the labels will help “locate responsibility” and make people less passive about the situation.

“The labels will catch us all in the act of doing damage to the environment.”

Gillespie said West Vancouver will be taking the idea to the Union of B.C. Municipalities later this fall, and he asked Vernon council to support the initiative and institute a similar plan.

“We could be the first in the region to do this,” he said. “My mother always taught me to take responsibility for my actions – and we need to take responsibility now.”

The labels would be provided by a group called Our Horizon, a national not-for-profit organization that’s working with municipalities to require climate change labels on gas-pump nozzles.

Coun. Catherine Lord said after a while, people simply ignore the labels on cigarettes and questioned if the same thing would happen with the nozzle labels.

Gillespie said the labels would be changed up and would create awareness “of the biggest problem we as a species face.”

Coun. Juliette Cunningham said people need to hear this message over and over again.

As per council policy, the matter was deferred to the next city council meeting.