The Future Belongs to Our Children

1

• The Future Belongs to Our Children
• Or does it?
• People Before Profit or Profit Before People?
• Do our corporations rights now supersede the
  right for children to breathe? 
• Do corporate interests trump that of mitigating
  against climate change? 
• Lastly - Why does our society as a whole continue
  to participate in the pathological self
  destruction even at the expense of our children?

2
Worldwide Statistics Eight thousand people a
day die from air pollution. There are 3 million
annual deaths, worldwide. In Canada toxic
emissions from transportation continue to rise
drastically. Vehicles are the primary sources of
nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, particulates
and benzene, a carcinogen. In the past 15 years
alone, there has been a fourfold increase in
asthma in children under 15 in Canada. In fact,
the Ontario Medical Association estimated that
health care costs caused by poor air quality in
2000 would amount to nearly 630 million, not to
mention the 566 million in costs due to workers
taking sick days. We are in a world wide public
health crisis epidemic as a direct result of air
pollution amidst a climate change crisis that
threatens human survival on this earth -
expanding services which promote unnecessary
idling for convenience is not only reckless and
irresponsible - it is the absolute opposite
direction we need to be taking.
3

• Council of Canadians London Chapter
• Clean Air For Children Campaign
• http//www.canadians.org/
• View petition at
• http//www.thepetitionsite.com/1/ban-drive--throug
  hs-in-canada

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About Us

• Founded in 1985, the Council of Canadians is
  Canadas largest citizens organization, with
  members and chapters across the country. We work
  to protect Canadian independence by promoting
  progressive policies on fair trade, clean water,
  energy security, public health care, and other
  issues of social and economic concern to
  Canadians.
• We develop creative campaigns to put some of the
  countrys most important issues into the
  spotlight. We work with a network of over 70
  volunteer chapters to organize speaking tours,
  days of action, conferences and demonstrations.
  We also produce research reports, create popular
  materials, and work with individuals and
  organizations across the country and around the
  world. We do all of this to ensure that
  governments know the kind of Canada we want.
• The Council does not accept money from
  corporations or governments, and is sustained
  entirely by the volunteer energy and financial
  assistance of its members.

5

• This Joint Call To Action Is Issued By The
  Following Organizations
• Campbell River, B.C. CoC Chapter
• Coquitlam Greendrinks British Columbia
• Deeper Shade of Green - British Columbia
• Fanshawe Social Justice Club
• Frank de Jong - Leader of Green Party Ontario
• Great Lakes United
• London and District Labour Council
• London Project for a Participatory Society
• London West NDP Riding Association
• LOVE - London Organization of Vegetarians for the
  Environment
• M E M E S - Movement of Environmental Minimalists
  Embracing Sustainability
• Maude Barlow - Council of Canadians - National
  Chairperson
• New Westminster B.C. CoC Chapter
• Peterborough - Kawarthas CoC Chapter
• Post Carbon London
• Regina SK CoC Chapter

6

• The Council of Canadians supports the London
  Chapter in its efforts to raise concerns about
  the environmental impacts of drive-thru
  restaurants in the city. We are encouraged
  to discover that a number of municipalities
  across Canada are either studying the further
  regulation of, or actually banning drive-thrus
  due to environmental considerations.
•   Best Wishes,
• Maude Barlow
• Council of Canadians - National Chairperson
• May 21st,2008 - The Canadian Environment Awards
  today announced the short list of finalists who
  will be honoured during its annual celebration of
  environmental achievement. The program's top
  honour, the Citation of Lifetime Achievement,
  will be presented to Maude Barlow, who for 25
  years has been a fierce advocate for the rights
  of Canadians and for Canadian sovereignty on
  economic, trade and social issues that have a
  deep connection to the environment.

7
The climate crisis must be our pre-eminent
policy priority. It's our childrens future at
stake - not ours.

• March 26th 2008 - A vast hunk of floating ice
  has broken away from the Antarctic Peninsula,
  threatening the collapse of a much larger ice
  shelf behind it, in a development that has
  shocked climate scientists.  Satellite images
  show that about 160 square miles of the Wilkins
  ice shelf has been lost since the end of
  February, leaving the ice interior now "hanging
  by a thread".  The collapsing shelf suggests that
  climate change could be forcing change much more
  quickly than scientists had predicted. Six other
  ice shelves have already been lost entirely the
  Prince Gustav Channel, Larsen Inlet, Larsen B,
  Wordie, Muller and Jones shelves.
• Climate change is too vital an issue to
  sacrifice to political infighting and cowardice.
  It is the greatest challenge facing us all, and
  there will be catastrophic economic and social
  consequences if we fail to act. However thus
  far we are failing. It can be done and we know
  the enemy. But where, on our increasingly fragile
  earth, is the leadership?
• We believe the leadership starts here and now.
  In the city of London.

8

• We are now witnessing a key moment in the
  climate change crisis, and it is alarming news we
  cannot dismiss.  The last time the atmosphere was
  this choked with CO2 humans were yet to evolve as
  a species. To even consider building new
  drive-thrus at this juncture in history is an
  unpardonable recklessness, but the fast food
  industry is determined to stumble forward
  regardless with its ill-conceived plans in the
  face of the science and mounting movement of
  widespread public opposition.
• Its time to weigh things out
• 1-Convenience.  Corporate profits.
• or
• 2-Childrens lives.  Future of life as we know
  it on our planet.
• Have you decided yet? 
• It is unbelievable that at this point in time
  that this even warrants a discussion. 

9

• May 13th 2008 - A US report was released stating
  that the world carbon dioxide levels have reached
  the highest levels ever reached over the last
  650,000 years.  Scientists say the shift could
  indicate that the Earth is losing its natural
  ability to soak up billions of tonnes of CO2 each
  year. Martin Parry, co-chair of the
  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's
  working group on impacts, said "Despite all the
  talk, the situation is getting worse. Levels of
  greenhouse gases continue to rise in the
  atmosphere and the rate of that rise is
  accelerating. We are already seeing the impacts
  of climate change and the scale of those impacts
  will also accelerate, until we decide to do
  something about it."
• The Stern Review showed that scientific evidence
  of global warming was "overwhelming" and its
  consequences "disastrous".  Nicholas Stern
  stated We have the time and knowledge to act
  but only if we act internationally, strongly and
  urgently. 
• Our part of this international action needs to
  be meaningful.  What we do as a municipality is
  absolutely symbolic to the private sector we
  must continually be on the leading edge of, with
  the most progressive of policies such as we are
  suggesting under our Clean Air for Children
  campaign.

10
Reports Released At Unprecedented Rates

• The science is overwhelming. Reports such as
  these two, below, are being release at
  unprecedented rates.
• New Study Released April 14th 2008 - The
  heavily polluted air of cities is destroying the
  fresh scents of flowers before they have had a
  chance to spread into the surrounding
  environment, according to a new study. The
  discovery could explain why bees and other
  pollinating insects are in decline the lack of
  scent means they cannot find the flowers, which
  provide the nectar needed for food. In turn this
  affects the plants, which are less likely to be
  fertilized.
• New Study Released April 15th 2008- A
  Birmingham university report has identified a
  'strong correlation' between deaths by pneumonia
  and traffic emissions.

11

• CLIMATE CODE RED
• These scientific imperatives are incompatible
  with the realities of politics as usual and
  business as usual. Our conventional mode of
  politics is short-term, adversarial and
  incremental, fearful of deep, quick change and
  simply incapable of managing the transition at
  the necessary speed. The climate crisis will not
  respond to incremental modification of the
  business-as-usual model.
• There is an urgent need to re-conceive the issue
  we face as a sustainability emergency, that takes
  us beyond the politics of failure-inducing
  compromise. The feasibility of rapid transitions
  is well established historically. We now need to
  think the unthinkable, because the
  sustainability emergency is now not so much a
  radical idea as simply an indispensable course of
  action if we are to return to a safe-climate
  planet. 
• Climate policy is characterized by the
  habituation of low expectations and a culture of
  failure.  There is an urgent need to understand
  global warming and the tipping points for
  dangerous impacts that we have already crossed 
  as a sustainability emergency, that takes us
  beyond the politics of failure-inducing
  compromise. We are now in a race between climate
  tipping points and political tipping points.

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• 5 crucial keys to a safe-climate future
• 1. Our goal is a safe-climate future we have
  no right to bargain away species or human lives.
• 2. We are facing rapid warming impacts the
  danger is immediate, not just in the future.
• 3. For a safe climate future, we must take
  action now to stop emissions and to cool the
  earth.
• 4. Plan a large-scale transition to a
  post-carbon economy and society.
• 5. Recognize a climate and sustainability
  emergency, because we need to move at a pace far
  beyond business and politics as usual.
• http//www.carbonequity.info/climatecodered/summa
  ry.html

13
A Common Goal of Survival

• Our planet is headed towards complete Armageddon
  much faster than scientists previously
  predicted.  Glaciers are melting.  Ice shelves
  are breaking off.  Natural disasters are
  happening at unprecedented rates.  Deaths from
  pollution are skyrocketing.  What does it even
  say about our human race, our society as a whole
  that we even need to continue in such
  discussion?  There should be no debate.  At this
  point we should all be working together in
  absolute unity toward a common goal.  A common
  goal of survival.  A common goal of protecting
  our children at all costs. If we are to survive
  as a species we must reduce our emissions by
  80 by 2050. The bottom line is that this means
  a bold and comprehensive shift in our energy
  priorities starting now. Cutting or emissions by
  80 over the next 40 years will not be easy. It
  is the greatest challenge we have ever faced. The
  industry needs to be cutting emissions by 2 per
  year to reach this target. Not increasing
  emissions. Not defending emissions.
• This is nothing less than the responsibility of
  every person and industry on this planet and
  multinational corporations are not exempt.
  Climate change leaves no room for apathy,
  laziness, selfishness or greed. 

14

• What have we created?  Before 1970 there were
  no drive-thrus.  Today we make excuse after
  excuse why it is our right to use drive-thrus
  in light of the fact that drive-thrus contribute
  to children dying, asthma rates soaring (fourfold
  over the last fifteen years) and our earths
  losing ability to take on any more abuse caused
  by our C02 emissions.
• In Ontario, the number of "smog days" nearly
  quadrupled from 15 in 1995 to 53 in 2005. If
  nothing is done to clean the air, medical experts
  estimate that by 2026 the number of smog-related
  premature deaths in Ontario alone will hit 10,000
  annually. The combined health care and lost
  productivity costs are expected to exceed 1
  billion. Pollution is a particularly serious
  issue for London, Ontario, the city with the
  province's second highest number of smog days
  after Toronto.  London has had 3 smog days
  already this year - all before the month of May.

15

• We have reached a pivotal point.  This is now a
  matter of life or death.  The statistics
  regarding childrens health are staggering.  We
  now know we have perhaps well reached the tipping
  point in regards to climate change we can no
  longer bend and sacrifice to appease corporate
  interests at the expense of our children.  To do
  so would be nothing less than a crime against
  future generations.
• This is where we start to re-design the way we
  think and live.  This is where we take back our
  cities.  This is where we take back control of
  our lives.  This is where we start.

16
The Role of Cities

• The battle against climate change will be won or
  lost in cities. The role of provincial and
  federal governments is, of course, widely
  debated, analyzed and understood. Yet the
  challenge is so huge that cross-cutting action at
  all levels will be needed. The central role of
  city leaders in our rapidly urbanizing world will
  be key to reducing the worlds greenhouse gas
  emissions. The leaders of large cities have a
  particular responsibility to act, and governments
  must empower and enable city governments to take
  on this role.
• If global efforts to address climate change are
  to be successful, they will need to integrate
  city requirements and environmental management
  capacities. Only with a coordinated approach and
  actions at the global, regional, national and
  local levels can success be achieved. Many cities
  are now taking the initiative to reduce their
  impact on the global climate.
• By 2030, two-thirds of humanity will live in
  cities or urban areas. Half already do. Even now,
  cities consume 75 per cent of the worlds energy
  and are responsible for 80 per cent of carbon
  dioxide emissions. Moreover, all cities are
  highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate
  change, and none more so than fast growing cities
  in developing countries. About 20 of the 30
  largest cities of the world are situated on low
  lying coasts. Rising sea levels of a few metres
  would have catastrophic implications. So theres
  an extraordinary responsibility and motivation
  for cities to act. It is at city level that
  innovation and progress on climate change action
  is most likely to be achieved.

17

• Mayors and their municipalities have the powers
  and levers to reduce carbon emissions. They
  control the development of land, have housing
  powers, regulate transport and often manage
  public transport systems. They have varying
  degrees of responsibility for the collection and
  processing of waste and have responsibility for
  other environmental infrastructure such as energy
  and water. They own and manage buildings and
  vehicle fleets. Significantly, they have huge
  purchasing power. They are able to form
  partnerships with private interests as well as
  mobilizing and coordinating community action.
• http//www.managenergy.tv/me_portal/mst/home
  (go to this link click view interview Nicky
  Gavron - Energy Week The Covenant of Mayors

18
Although leadership from provincial and federal
governments is crucial in negotiating
international agreements, setting frameworks and
standards and for providing fiscal and financial
incentives, when it comes to practical action on
the ground, city leadership must take centre
stage.  Mayors and elected officials have
responsibilities in areas key to taking swift
action to reduce emissions, and can show
leadership in taking decisive and radical action.
It is at city level that innovation and progress
on pollution and thus climate change is most
likely to be achieved.

19
A Call for an Immediate Moratorium on New
Drive-thrus

• Although our 'Clean Air for Children' campaign
  is a three part initiative (with more to come in
  the near future) the call for a moratorium
  continues to be the most controversial part of
  the campaign. 
• With 150 drive-thrus currently in existence in
  London alone one would not think this would be
  an issue.
• However the industry has united a forefront to
  fight such a moratorium. The industry continues
  to choose corporate profits over childrens lives
  and the future of our planet as we know it.
• INDUSTRY

20
Drive-thru Proliferation

• It would be wonderful if multinational
  corporations would place our children, even
  people in general, before their profits.  However
  this is not about to happen.  Corporations are
  legally bound to show profits to their
  shareholders first and foremost.  This is at any
  cost.  There are no boundaries.  There are no
  ethical or moral considerations.  The costs of
  doing drive-thru business are almost completely
  externalized.  If one had to pay the true cost of
  a cup of a coffee at a drive-thru window one
  can only imagine the exorbitant price.  However
  we do pay. We pay with the continued detriment to
  our planet, we pay the ever escalating costs to a
  healthcare system in crisis, and ultimately, we
  are paying with that of our childrens lives.  If
  one can understand corporate greed then one can
  you begin to understand why drive-thrus are so
  enticing to fast food chains with plans to expand
  and double their drive-thrus over the next five
  years. This is the exact opposite direction of
  where we as a society should be going. Sixty
  percent of the 129 billion dollar per year
  industry takes place at the drive-thru window. 
  China has now introduced drive-thrus.  It is
  considered a status symbol to sit in a vehicle
  and idle in a drive-thru in China where emissions
  have begun to absolutely soar.  Plans to expand
  drive-thrus in China and throughout Asia have
  only just begun.

21

• From the TDL Group (Tim Hortons) Tim Horton's
  is Licensed by TDL Group Ltd which is owned by
  Wendy's International which a U.S. company.
• The RWDI study would have us believe that
  customers are being more environmental by sitting
  in a drive-thru and idling than they are to park
  and walk in. In this study its conclusion states
  Overall, the findings for Tim Hortons stores
  examined in this study indicate no air quality
  benefit to the public by eliminating
  drive-thrus.  The report states that the Tim
  Horton locations without drive-thrus produce more
  emissions than the stores with drive-thrus.
• How can this be?
• The report claims that the clients who are
  parking and walking in are on site for an
  average 7-8 minutes.  In the most bizarre twist
  it is stated that most of the additional time was
  a result of vehicles idling while waiting for a
  parking space because the lot was congested.
• From the study The emission inventory for the
  drive-thru portion of the facility was compared
  to everyday emission sources (i.e. lawn mowers,
  snow blowers etc.) 
• Now just an fyi if you didnt know this
  already push lawn mowers produce approx. 11
  times the emissions than that of a car riding
  lawn mowers produce approx. 34 times the
  emissions than that of a car. (Source- EPA) Also
  - according to the U.S. Environmental Protection
  Agency, the typical two-cycle snow blower can
  expel nearly a pound of carbon monoxide for every
  hour it runs. One wonders who considers lawn
  mowers, snow blowers (and incidentally leaf
  blowers see below) to everyday emission
  sources. 
• They compare combined emissions of all vehicles
  using a drive-thru in one peak hour (137 vehicles
  times idling 3 to 4.5 minutes each) to that of a
  single chain saw operating for one hour.  Just
  another fyi the U.S. Environmental Protection
  Agency estimates that operating a chainsaw for
  one hour produces the same amount of exhaust
  emissions as driving an automobile for 1,000
  kilometers. 

22

• We find the RWDI report selective,
  manipulative and in some respects merely makes
  the case for why drive thrus generate a greater
  burden upon climate change and air quality, even
  though the reports conclusions suggest
  otherwise.
• The focus seems to be on the morning peak rush
  hour, using a Tim Hortons restaurant on Bank
  Street in Ottawa as the control example of
  emissions from a non drive-thru facility. The
  report concludes that drive-thru emissions are
  lower relative to the non drive-thru restaurant.
  Yes this is true, but only for the one hour that
  the study focuses upon. The report states quite
  clearly that in a restaurant where there is ample
  parking the GHG emissions are less than 1/3 for
  someone parking their vehicle compared to using
  the drive thru. By extension one has to ask the
  question what would be the emissions profile
  during non-peak hours, and what would be the
  emissions profile at a restaurant that had ample
  parking. Their individual vehicle statistic
  suggests that the overall emission profile (over
  the entire day) will be higher from restaurants
  that have drive-thrus compared to 1. a drive-thru
  restaurant with ample parking 2. possibly a
  restaurant without a drive-thru with limited
  parking.
• If you accept their logic that drive-thrus
  generate less GHGs during the peak morning rush
  hour than a congested sit-down only restaurant as
  justification for drive-thrus, at best that would
  be a justification for operating the drive thru
  window during the morning rush hour ONLY at
  restaurants that have limited parking. At
  restaurants where there is ample parking, the
  stats clearly demonstrate that drive-thrus are a
  contributor of greater GHGs by extension, Tim
  Hortons should be closing down all of their
  drive thru windows where this situation exits.
• You cant have it both ways.

23

• It is interesting to note that in a CBC
  investigation produced on May 28th, 2007,
  journalists documented 113 cars going thru the
  drive-thru in one hour in a Winnipeg Tim Hortons
  drive-thru.  The average drive-thru wait per
  vehicle was 5 min. 15 sec. Natural Resources
  Canada estimates these cars produced 290 grams of
  CO2 each which means that in one hour, this one
  drive-thru generated 35 KG (77 pounds) of carbon
  dioxide. The senior vice-president of Tim
  Hortons is interviewed on the investigation and
  he states We prefer education as does others in
  the industry verses punitive measures be it a
  bylaw or fines.  
• http//www.cbc.ca/clips/rm-hi/sheane-drivethrough
  070528.rm
• For a consulting firm with sustainable design
  listed as a service one would think that they
  could develop a suitable parking lot for Tim
  Hortons customers so they would no longer have
  to be on their site for 7-8 minutes spending the
  majority of this time driving while looking a
  space to park (according to their report).  This
  is clearly a planning issue and should be
  recognized as such.  Further stress on our
  children and our earth itself should not be
  tolerated only because Tim Hortons chooses to
  focus on profitable drive-thru service rather
  than adequate parking.

24

• From the University of Calgary
• Estimated statistics (May 2007) from the
  University of Calgary found Edmonton drive-thrus
  contribute an estimated 25 tons of greenhouse gas
  emissions into the atmosphere per day. (Enough to
  fill over 12 NHL hockey rinks per day) Over a
  year, this could represent up to 9,000 tons.
  Using a total of 115 cities with same population
  and the same amount of drive-thrus, this could
  generate a total of I MILLION TONS in a year, and
  this is just for larger cities in Canada.
• Now How many trees to do we need to plant in
  order to offset 1 million tons of carbon in one
  year?  277 million trees.  Even if this was
  possible should we not be planting trees to
  offset something we actually need to live? 
  Perhaps heat that we need to survive in the
  winter months?  Is the industry going to plant
  these trees annually?  We dont think so. 
• Does your head hurt yet?  Is anyone enraged
  yet?  Do we need a reality check?  

25

• Perhaps in addition to industry gifting our
  children with happy meals and summer camp,
  perhaps fast food chains can start supplying
  puffers to children with Asthma.
• When our children and grandchildren someday,
  (coming soon) ask us why we did not immediately
  cease all unnecessary forms of C02 emissions to
  mitigate against climate change when we knew
  full well the consequences - what are we going to
  say?  Im sorry sweetheart society really
  couldnt give up the luxury of the drive-thru
  that was just too much to ask.  Im sorry we
  destroyed your chances for a future on the
  planet, but it was just more sacrifice than one
  could be expected to endure.
• What a legacy.
• Our eco footprint is more than four times larger
  than what is sustainable.  We still want more? 
  If there is to be a future on this planet - we
  need to re-design our lives to live using 80
  less.  We dont have to sacrifice our quality of
  life to combat climate change, however, we do
  need to change the way we live.  And simple, is
  more often than not, beautiful.

26
Employment

• The industry states local jobs will be lost.  Is
  this a viable argument?  Red Roaster seems to be
  doing well in London.  There are cafes and
  restaurants across Canada with no drive-thrus -
  all doing well.  Speaking of fast food industry
  employment - health for most minimum wage fast
  food employees working a drive-thru window does
  not seem to be a very high priority.  Does anyone
  recall second hand smoke?  Lets consider first
  hand vehicle exhaust.  With no paid health
  benefits for the majority of employees in the
  fast food industry their health seems completely
  irrelevant and disregarded. Please note the
  industry is now testing and are already
  implementing outsourcing your drive-thru order. 
  The next time you press an intercom at a
  drive-thru you may be speaking to someone in
  India.  Hmmm. What happened to keeping the jobs
  local?  Fast food multinationals who make
  billions in profits continue to pay their hard
  working employees anything more than poverty
  wages.  And even this is considered too high. 
  Why pay minimum wage in North America when you
  can exploit someone in India? 
• The London and District Labour Council has
  endorsed our campaign including the moratorium on
  drive-thrus.

27
The Future of Fast Food

• Is it possible that a progressive marketing
  strategy from a fast food chain will be
  announced?  Is there any retailer with a
  drive-thru that will step up to the plate and
  close their drive-thru?  Perhaps replace the
  drive-thrus with trees and a lush garden that
  would serve as an outdoor café.  Is any
  establishment with a drive-thru willing to
  demonstrate to the world that the health of our
  children and the future existence of life on our
  planet supersedes drive-thru profits?  Is it
  possible a marketing strategy could embrace a
  concept recognizing the fact that people would be
  most loyal to a retailer whose priorities were
  the clients themselves?  We are quickly
  approaching the end of the cheap fossil fuel
  era.  Is this not completely irresponsible to
  waste diminishing fossil fuels in this manner? 
  Drive-thrus are not sustainable and eventually
  they will go - whether we want them or not. The
  first retailer that recognizes this simple fact
  is the retailer who will take the lead in the
  industry by creating the positive change
  necessary by way of a new model.  A new model and
  a new way of thinking will be required for any
  kind of long term future in the fast food
  industry. Imagine if you were mobility impaired,
  and you parked at a designated space at a
  restaurant formerly enslaved by a drive-thru. 
  You would speak into an intercom. Out would come
  a real live person with your order (perhaps even
  some day with real live food). I think I remember
  something like this happened in the not so
  distant past.  It was called a drive-in.  The
  competitor to re-introduce the drive-in, with
  real or at minimum, biodegradable dishes and
  cutlery, serving fair trade, organic food all
  powered by renewable, green energy the first
  one smart enough and fast enough to do this -
  will win.
• http//www.earthinc.org/earthinc.php?pageprincip
  les

28
Health Impacts on our Children

• Children are the most vulnerable in our
  society. Children also breathe 50 percent more
  air per pound than adults. It is the
  responsibility of every adult citizen on our
  global planet to take every precaution to protect
  our children and mitigate against climate
  change.  Just as all children must have the right
  to clean drinking water, all children must have
  the right to breathe clean air.
• At a press conference to launch UNICEFs new
  publication, Climate Change and Children, she
  said climate change was often viewed in terms of
  its dramatic, obvious manifestations, such as the
  increase in the number of natural disasters and
  extremes in temperature.  But the overlooked
  quiet impact often hit children even harder, as
  with the effects of desertification, water
  scarcity and the abandonment of land that could
  no longer sustain families.  That led to children
  missing school because they had to long walk
  distances in search of water or shivering from
  malaria in the cold.
• As usual, she said, poor people paid the highest
  price because they lived in the areas most at
  risk from climate change, and among the poor,
  children suffered the most, paying with their
  health, their development and often with their
  lives.  So climate change is not just an
  environmental issue.  It is an economic, social
  and human issue, she emphasized.  Each year more
  than 3 million children under the age of five
  died from environmentally linked diseases,
  including diarrhoeal ailments linked to water
  accessibility, respiratory illnesses and malaria,
  which thrived on heat and humidity to kill a
  million people each year, 80 per cent of whom
  were children.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated
  that the number of children dying from asthma
  each year could increase by 20 per cent by 2016
  if urgent action was not taken to reduce
  emissions from vehicles and factories.
• The UNICEF delegations message to Government
  leaders in Bali was that actions taken to protect
  the environment would directly impact on the
  rights of children.

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• Idling Kills
• There are now more refugees displaced by climate
  change environmental disasters than there are
  refugees displaced by war.  People with families
  just like us.  It is sad to know that the
  people who did little to  contribute to climate
  change are the very ones suffering the most.  The
  poor choices we continue to make are killing
  other people.  Other species.  Each and every
  minute.  Are we so entitled that we cannot see
  beyond our own wants?  Not even when it comes to
  the health of our own children?  Does this not go
  directly against the most natural instinct in
  every woman and man?  The natural instinct to
  protect your child at any and every sacrifice? 
  The damage to our childrens lungs goes largely
  unnoticed.  We dont see our childrens lungs
  each morning at the breakfast table.  Toronto's
  medical officer has released a report stating a
  30 reduction in vehicle emissions could save 200
  lives, one billion dollars a year in health care
  costs and 68,000 asthma attacks for children a
  year.  If we had 68,000 children dying a year
  from leukemia it would be nothing less than
  that of a crisis.  One must wonder why there is
  such apathy towards these numbers when pollution
  is something we can clearly defeat.  The selfish
  excuse to use drive-thrus because you have
  children is the poorest excuse when it is
  ultimately our childrens lives, by way of their
  health and their future that we are destroying. 
  If we love our children surely we can do
  something as simple as stop idling wherever
  possible. Whether it is at a railway tracks,
  waiting at the school or at a drive-thru the
  end result is the same.  Idling kills.
• Natural Resources Canada clearly states If your
  car is stopped for more than ten seconds turn
  off your engine.

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The well being of our citizens is the City of
Londons mandate.  Quote Vision London
London, The Forest City We are a caring,
responsive community committed to the health and
well-being of all Londoners.  The actions we take
will be socially, environmentally, and fiscally
responsible so that out quality of life is
enhanced and sustained for future generations. 
Our people, heritage, diverse economy, strategic
location, land and recourses are our strength. 
Based on this vision in conjunction with the
Stern Report, the city of London must, with
urgency, impose a moratorium on all new
commercial drive-through operations and establish
a timetable to phase out all existing
drive-through operations through zoning or other
by-laws.Ultimately the decision of a
moratorium on drive-thrus lies with us.  It lies
with you. Its that simple.  We can continue to
support them or we can choose to unite and send
a clear message that corporate profits and
convenience will no longer be tolerated by our
society at the expense of our childrens health
and our childrens future in a world we have so
quickly destroyed.  This is your choice. The
choice is clear. This is your legacy.

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Social Aspects - Community

• So do we choose to protect and keep non
  essential items such as drive-thrus or do we
  choose to re-design our planet in which future
  generation can live?  The benefits are immense
  environmental health, physical health.  People
  stepping out of their cars symbolize people
  re-engaging in community. Such a culture shift is
  a step to encourage people to slow down, walk or
  bike, and to ride mass transit.  Slowing down is
  necessary in this fast-paced culture. We must
  organize and embrace a resistance to the momentum
  of running.  If we learn how to slow down and
  nourish ourselves, we can pay more attention to
  living sustainably and mindfully in our
  communities.  Many of todays problems are rooted
  in efficiency and convenience we zoom from place
  to place without slowing down to enjoy the simple
  joys around us. Sustainable yet slower modes of
  transportation like walking and biking, getting
  us out of our cars and help us to do that. This
  gives us the clarity and mindfulness to recognize
  things as they are. When you are mindful, you
  recognize what is going on, what is happening in
  the here and now.  Without mindfulness we make
  and spend our money in ways that destroys us and
  other people. We use our wealth in such a way
  that we destroy ourselves and other people.

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• The Bottom Line
• There is one basic issue here.  That is the
  basic reality that drive thrus are wrong. 
  Simple.  End of discussion. The main issue is
  that there are going to be many more issues that
  will have to be tackled issues that are not
  nearly as clear cut and simple.  So drive thrus
  have to go. If we cannot sacrifice a convenience
  such as drive-thrus in order to secure the
  possibility of life on this planet for our
  children then how can we ever hope to make the
  hard choices, the hard decisions that we will
  have to make in order to save our species. We do
  not need the industrys science.  Because we
  share an environment, that does not mean we have
  to share the industrys obtuse ideas on economics
  and environment. 

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• In the course of history, there comes a time
  when humanity is called to shift to a new level
  of consciousness, to reach a higher moral
  ground. A time when we have to shed our fear
  and give hope to each other. --- That time is
  now. -Dr. Wangari Maathai, Kenya's "Green
  Militant" and winner of Nobel Peace Prize, 2004

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• Change begets Change
• If we are strong enough, brave enough to do what
  is right we will set an example for other cities.
  If enough other cities each care enough, each one
  influencing yet another in a chain reaction of
  behavioral change, markets for all manner of
  green products and alternative technologies will
  prosper and expand. Consciousness will be raised,
  perhaps even changed new moral imperatives and
  new taboos might take root in the culture.
  Driving an S.U.V. or eating a 24-ounce steak or
  illuminating your McMansion like an airport
  runway at night might come to be regarded as
  outrages to human conscience. Not having things
  might become cooler than having them. And those
  who did change the way they live would acquire
  the moral standing to demand changes in behavior
  from others - from other people, other
  corporations, even other countries.

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• The Great Law of the Iroquois states, In our
  every deliberation, we must consider the impact
  of our decisions on the next seven generations.
• We believe that the time has come to embrace
  such sound advice.

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• On behalf of our children, your children and
  children all over our small planet - thank you
  for your time and consideration.
• Council of Canadians London Chapter
• http//www.canadians.org/  
• http//cleanairforchildren.blogspot.com/
• http//londoncoc.blogspot.com/

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