CNW Group

TORONTO, Aug. 27 /CNW/ – As part of their ongoing effort to combat global warming, Ontario Liberals are organizing their 2007 election campaign to run carbon neutral.

“We’re running a carbon neutral campaign to do our part in the fight against climate change, and because it’s important for all of us to recognize individual efforts matter,” said Premier Dalton McGuinty.

By conserving energy and buying carbon offsets the Liberal campaign will balance the emissions associated with the leader’s travel, including his campaign tour bus, and electricity and energy used in the campaign headquarters and every candidate’s office.

The campaign will also provide each Liberal candidate with carbon credits to offset 5 tonnes of CO2 per riding, and an online calculator to show the progress each riding makes in reducing and offsetting carbon.

Campaign headquarters will sport red boxes for battery recycling, green bins for diverting organic waste and of course blue boxes for paper and newspapers, plastic, glass, cardboard, and other products. Campaign literature will be printed on recycled paper.

Campaign staff will also conserve energy by turning off computers, televisions, office equipment and lights when not in use.

The campaign will be using the newest and cleanest buses available, running on ultra low sulphur diesel with 2007 engines that significantly reduce emissions that cause smog (significantly less particulate matter and significantly less nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions).

Emission reductions and carbon offsets will be monitored and verified by two leading Canadian offset companies based in Toronto – CarbonZero and Zerofootprint.

“This is a small but an important example of what we can do,” said Greg Sorbara, Ontario Liberal campaign chair. “We all have a duty to act to fight climate change, including political parties.”

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