Imagine driving up to refuel your vehicle, and being greeted by a reminder of what your vehicle’s emissions do to the environment.
West Vancouver is already moving to putting something like that into practice, and now Guelph may follow suit.
“I think people need a gentle reminder that they’re part of the problem, and that any resolution to the climate problem is going to come from individuals – not from government,” Coun. Bob Bell tells CTV News.
Bell brought the matter up at Monday night’s city council meeting.
He says he sees it as the same principle as putting labels on cigarettes to warn of their health effects.
Dan Meegan, a psychology professor at the University of Guelph, is also in favour of the idea – even if he sees it more as a symbolic move than as something that will directly lead to people buying less gas.
“It’s more just to remind people of the consequences of their actions,” he says.
“It’ll draw attention to the issue, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.”
While councillors have yet to make any decision on gas pump labels, one possibility is to institute a trial period, where gas stations could voluntarily add the labels to their pumps.
Brian Flewelling, who owns a gas station on Surrey Street, says he wouldn’t be opposed to that – although he too isn’t sure it will impact driver behaviour.
“They still need their gas. They’re going to want it whether the label’s there or not,” he says.
The matter was referred to a committee of council, likely to be debated in April.
If approved, the labels could start showing up before the end of the year.
