Although previous research indicated that 1995 model year and older vehicles
emit 19 times more smog-forming emissions than 2004 and newer
vehicles, a recent study of a sample of these older cars retired
through the Clear the air!/ Retire Your Ride program shows that the
tested vehicles were actually on average 45 times more polluting
than 2004 and newer vehicles.

This is seen as all the more reason for Canadians to retire
their older vehicles in an effort to protect the environment.

“This truly is a staggering fact,” said class=”xn-person”>Carla Kearns, national program director at
Summerhill Impact, national delivery agent for Retire Your
Ride.

“Our hope is that Quebecers will hear this shocking statistic
and really take a closer look at the vehicle they are driving and
the impact it is having on our environment and health. If Quebecers
are driving cars of model year 1995 and earlier, it’s time to take
advantage of the Clear the air! / Retire Your Ride program and get
rewarded for making the right choice before the program ends.”

The study, conducted by BC AirCare, the organization that
performs smog emissions testing for the province of British
Columbia, compared 133 older vehicles with newer models and found
that these older vehicles produce 31 times more hydrocarbon and 58
times more nitrogen than their newer counterparts.

For Quebecers who are looking to retire their 1995 and older
model year vehicles, Clear the air!/ Retire Your Ride provides an
easy way to responsibly recycle their cars and be rewarded for it.
They have to act quickly, however, as the end of the month will
mark the six-month countdown to the end of the program and
availability of incentives.

“Clear the air!/ Retire Your Ride will come to an end on class=”xn-chron”>March 31, 2011, leaving only six months for
Quebecers to get rewarded for permanently retiring their 1995 model
year and older vehicles,” said André Bélisle, director of the Clear
the air! program and Chair of the Association québécoise de lutte
contre la pollution atmosphérique (AQLPA), Retire Your Ride
delivery agent in Quebec.

“On top of rewards, Quebec
residents can benefit from 15 months of free transit
transportation, worth up to $3000.
Moreover, they can be assured that their vehicle will be recycled
in the most environmentally responsible manner, thanks to the Clean
the air!/ Retire Your Ride National Code of Practice (2003) that
all participating recyclers must follow.”

Clear the air!/ Retire Your Ride aims to reduce smog-forming
emissions, encourage the use of sustainable transportation and
ensure vehicles are responsibly recycled. Since its launch in class=”xn-chron”>January 2009, Retire Your Ride has taken
more than 95,000 vehicles off the road in class=”xn-location”>Canada, reducing smog-forming emissions
by over 5,000 tons.

In Quebec alone, more than
27,000 cars have been responsibly retired as of class=”xn-chron”>May 2009. In fact, it is in class=”xn-location”>Quebec that we find the greater number
of participants who have chosen to retire their ride in exchange
for transit passes.

People who own a 1995 model year or older vehicle and choose to
take part in Clean the air/Retire Your Ride before the program ends
on March 31, 2011 can be rewarded
with one of a number of rewards available to program participants,
including:

• Bicycles - A discount of up to $790 off of a high-end commuter
  bicycle
  
  as well as up to 15 per cent off parts and services; 



• Transit Passes - Free 15 monthly transit passes in some
  municipalities or a $1200.00 discount off the purchase of
  monthly passes or Ticket booklets for Montreal-Sherbrooke
  service.



• Electric Bicycles - $790.00 discount off the purchase of a
  “scooter”      style electric bike



• Electric scooter EVT - over and above the 300$ cash reward,
  receive a
  
  discount of $700.00 on the purchase of an electric scooter EVT



• Car share- a free subscription for three years to Communauto
  worth $611



• Manufacturer supported rebates - Offered by Chrysler, Hyundai
  and GM



• Cash - $300 cash

target=”_blank”>Clear the Air is a program for recycling
older, highly polluting vehicles, launched in class=”xn-location”>Quebec by the AQLPA in 2003. Its goals
are to help improve air quality, fight climate change and encourage
Quebecers to use more sustainable modes of transportation. Since
the spring of 2009, Clear the Air! has been a partner in the
federal government’s Retire Your Ride program. And since class=”xn-chron”>December 2009, Clear the Air! has received
financial support from the Quebec
government.

Source: GLOBE-Net