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Saskatoon Students Take Climate Change into Their Own Hands.

Trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can seem overwhelming, but don’t bother telling that to the students at the Silverwood Heights and Sister O’Brien Schools in Saskatoon.  In the spring of 2006, students from these two schools took matters into their own hands by running an anti-idling campaign.  Along with learning about climate change and how to run a successful campaign, the students had some fun and were able to make some very significant reductions in the amount of idling done by parents waiting in front of these schools.

While vehicle idling might seem insignificant, it is important to remember that, in Saskatchewan, 43% of our personal greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation.  Idling in front of schools can be especially bad, because not only does it release greenhouse gases, it can also be hard on local air quality.  Due to their smaller body mass, and faster respiratory rates, children are especially vulnerable to air pollution and strong links have been made between exposure to automobile exhaust and high rates of asthma and other respiratory diseases in youth. 

In the spring of 2006, the Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES), with financial support from SaskEnergy, and materials from Climate Change Saskatchewan, partnered with Silverwood Heights and Sister O’Brien Schools to organize an anti-idling campaign.  Over several weeks students learned background information about climate change, idling and the logistics of running a campaign.  They also did a pre-audit to determine how many drivers were idling outside of their schools, educated drivers about idling, and did a post audit to see if their education campaign had an effect on peoples idling behaviors. 

During the educational campaign, students shared their new knowledge of idling with drivers in front of the school and employed a variety of other promotional tools to reduce idling such as an outdoor anti-idling sign, posters, stickers and brochures from Climate Change Saskatchewan, newsletter inserts and presentations to other students with the support of SES.

And what were the results of their effort?  Post-audits at both schools showed a drop in vehicle idling by almost 50%.  Beyond what this meant for improved local air quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and savings for drivers, the program also empowered students and showed them that they really can make a difference in the fight against climate change.

Although the challenges of curbing climate change are great, the Silverwood Heights and Sister O’Brien School projects are perfect examples of how very small changes can make a significant impact. And what does the future hold for the Silverwood Heights and Sister O’Brian Schools’ project?  The Saskatoon example is now being used as the model for a similar campaign by the City of Regina in the 2006/2007 school year.