Idle thinking
So it looks like the City of Ottawa is considering a crackdown on idling cars and buses: CFRA.com
On the surface, this looks like a good idea. However, I also heard that the costs associated with this potential crackdown (hiring more bylaw officers, providing them vehicles, etc.) is projected to be around $750,000.
Do you think this is worth it? Ottawa's got a history of spending mismanagement, and with our rising taxes and service costs, it bugs me seeing that kind of money going towards what I see mostly as a 'feel good' initiative.
Also, I can see legions of people lined up at Tim Horton's being very displeased with being handed idling tickets while waiting for their double-double..
Opinions?
On the surface, this looks like a good idea. However, I also heard that the costs associated with this potential crackdown (hiring more bylaw officers, providing them vehicles, etc.) is projected to be around $750,000.
Do you think this is worth it? Ottawa's got a history of spending mismanagement, and with our rising taxes and service costs, it bugs me seeing that kind of money going towards what I see mostly as a 'feel good' initiative.
Also, I can see legions of people lined up at Tim Horton's being very displeased with being handed idling tickets while waiting for their double-double..
Opinions?
16 Comments:
Well, as someone who works in the field of sustainable development, and is educated on this issue, I'm in support of it. Here's why:
1. This proposed new legislation is really targeted at buses and commercial vehicles who leave their buses idling for long periods of time. I can think of a bunch of instances where I've seen commercial vehicles and buses idling for hours.
2. Believe it or not, more emissions are emitted while idling. Ten seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it.
3. Contrary to popular belief, idling isn't an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in cold weather. The best way to warm it up is to drive it. In fact, with today's engines, you need no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days before you start to drive.
4. The costs associated with hiring bylaw officers is greatly outweighed by the environmental costs of idling and by the economic savings that people will see when the shut off their cars.
For more information, visit http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/communities-government/idling.cfm
That's a load of environmentalist bullshit. Go stuff it in your composter. This is just another example of the huge waste of taxpayers money. See: www.findsomethingthatactuallyworksbecauseyourjejune little"heythiswillmakeuslooklikewecareaboutheenvoronment"ideassuck.org
Wow, somebody has some strong views.. I'll comment on Stacey's points first.
1. I'll believe it when I see it. If they only bug buses, I'll feel a bit better about it.
2. I've actually heard about that before. When I've relayed it to others, they've called me silly. Maybe I'm not silly after all.
3. I'd buy that. But people let their cars run mostly so that it's warm for them when it's time to drive. Good luck trying to change their minds. :)
4. I really, really, have a hard time believing enviromental savings can be quantified.
One thing I've considered, since I'm mostly concerned about the money the city would be shelling out, is that if they are able to make that money back and maybe actually turn a profit through fines, I'd support it. Even more so if that extra money went towards lowering my damn soaring property tax! :P
Oh, and who uses the word 'jejune'? What the hell does that even mean? Aren't those little gummy candies or something? :p
Not to be a nerd, but anon. misused the word jejune. I take issue with this because jejune happens to be one of my favourite words.
Please people! Understand the words before you use them!
Someone who frequents the Met. would find Ottawa Theatre jejune.
No offence to the Ottawa theatre company.
I find the idea of "The Wedding Singer: The Musical!" Jejune.
If you go to a friend's house for a dinner party and they offer you spaghetti noodles with tomato sauce and frozen appetizers, that is jejune.
See: trite, insipid and dull.
See: An attempt at haute couture but achieving at most les petite bougoise.
See: Sofia Coppola's "Marie Antoinette"
See: Your attempt to use the word jejune.
People leaving their cars running unnecessarily really bother me - turn it off! Not only will you save gas, but the less time your vehicle spends belching out fumes, the better for all of us. I'd love to see bylaws like this (I'm pretty sure there's already a bylaw in place; they're just enforcing it now) enforced everywhere. Not sure if the program would pay for itself but I'm also not sure that should be our only concern.
Sorry Leslie, but seeing as I have an English degree, I must take issue with your limited definition of "jejune", which is also a favourite of mine. There are actually a plethora of definitions (other than lacking in maturity) for jejune.
insubstantial: lacking in nutritive value; "the jejune diets of the very poor"
adolescent: displaying or suggesting a lack of maturity; "adolescent insecurity"; "jejune responses to our problems"; "their behavior was juvenile"; "puerile jokes"
insipid: lacking interest or significance; "an insipid personality"; "jejune novel"
(These definitions are straight from Princeton)
So Anon is actually using the word properly, as a descriptor, for "ideas".
Anon, you can attack me all you want, but until you actually have something substantial to back up your points with, there really isn't much point in me worrying about your lack of enthusiasm for protecting the environment.
Scott, in response to your point #4, one of the things I do in my job is to figure out exactly how we CAN quantify environmental savings. It's not an easy task, I assure you, but there are definitely ways to do it.
Oh, and I think they are targetting people who leave their cars running while in the store or delivering something than people who warm up their cars in their driveway.
DJ Alley:
God bless another Nerd! I'm totally with you on Jejune, however, I feel like the context of it's use was intended along the lines of Naieve with a hint of spite, more along the lines of puerile, undergraduate or trite.
Along the lines of: You haven't put much thought into this, others have thought of it before and it hasn't worked, but you aren't smart enough to know that.
Not to imply that there's any validity to the above statement, I actually believe the opposite to be true, however, that's the impression I got from jejune as used in the context of anon's post.
I think we should all try to use jejune more often. Like the word of the day ... Seriously, let's count how many times we can use jejune in one day, startinggg ... NOW!
Just wanted to say that I am in no way related to that first Anon. He stole my name, the rat bastard.
Not that I want to be associated for agreeing with someone who has a vase of flowers for an avatar, but I find myself forced to agree with most of her points. Being somewhat of a car guy myself, I completely concur with points 2 and 3.
It both annoys and amuses me to see a line of 25 cars at the Tim Horton's drive through, all idling up plumes of CO, while I park, walk in, and wave to the queued fools as I drove off with my food, minutes later.
To the second anon...what's wrong with my avatar? It's a piece of art that I made...
Hmm. I'm reluctantly forced to admit that is really nice work. And I have four cats. You can't be all bad.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
LESLIE: Nerds UNITE!! (Although the BIG geek award will have to go to Henly....his Nortel is showing.......) I am an English Geek at heart......
"I feel like the context of it's use was intended along the lines of Naieve with a hint of spite, more along the lines of puerile, undergraduate or trite."
Agreed. Poor cretin (the first Anon). Perhaps his/her callowness is just a bi-product of their upbringing.....sad.
The word of the day is JEJUNE. Lets spread the word, not epitomize it!!!
Anon, really, 4 cats? Excellent!
Anon, really, 4 cats? Does your wife know?
The DJ got a new photo! Nice. Wife? Who said anything about wife? But yeah, it's mostly because of her we have four cats. The double-income, no kids thing was mandatory to support the feline situation...
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