On any winter day Canadians idle their vehicles for a combined 75 million minutes. That habit could use curbing. Aside from personal commitments to use our cars more responsibly and find alternative means of travel, what can we do to reduce the greenhouse gases generated in our communities?

Carol McMullen saw an opportunity in her hometown of Guelph, Ontario and her efforts have resulted in a new citywide policy to end bus idling between trips. That has the potential to prevent close to a hundred kilograms of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere every day.

What she did was simple: Carol wrote a letter.

"I don't know anything technological about these things," Carol says. "I don't know anybody in that particular realm. I'm just one person. What I've learned from this experience is that writing a letter is not that hard."

Anti-idling campaigns are a great way to address the problem. And there's help to get you started.

Below you'll find links to the resources Carol used to lower her city's carbon footprint. Or, if you need some inspiration, read more about her story on our Take Action page and check out our Podcast about it.

Don't stall. You never know what impact your letter could have.

Posted on behalf of Brooke McDonald