Two boys walking to school. Photo: Dan Burden, www.pedbikeimages.org
Walking, cycling and skateboarding are fun ways of getting to school; and they help keep the air clean. International Walk to School Week, October 3-7, 2005, is a program that supports alternative methods of getting to school, staying physically active and protecting the environment. Since 1998, 16 000 students and 100 schools across Canada have participated in the International Walk to School Week program, and the program has been growing quickly ever since.
Everyday, when you get in the car and drive to school, your car is polluting the air. Not only does this pollution create smog, but it can also make you very sick. People can develop asthma and heart disease because of how dirty the air is.
That's why programs like International Walk to School Week have been created, so that you can take part in saving the environment.
But the main ideas behind the program are not limited to students and schools. In fact, wouldn't it be fun if parents and children participated in the event together, so that mom and dad walked to work during the same week that you walk to school? You could even have competitions about who walked the most or who rode in a car the least; ultimately competing to see who is doing more to protect the environment.
Or what about walking to the corner store or the park, instead of driving?
You can participate in this program all year round, and it can be expanded to all parts of life. This way, everyone gets to help save the environment and get exercise at the same time.
