Mission: Stop and Go Green

Become an Eco Driving Expert and help your family be clean and green when they travel!

When cars became popular in the early 1900s, they really changed the world. Not only was it easier to get from point A to point B, but cars also let people travel farther and more often. For a lot of us, cars are still the most common way we get around, but that easy travel comes with a price: greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.

Over the years, vehicles have become more environmentally-friendly, releasing less greenhouse gas emissions into the air. By adopting smarter driving habits and going electric, we can reduce carbon emissions from transportation and help fight climate change!

Did you know?

25%

of all 2017 greenhouse gas emissions came from transportation

$1,900

saved per year in fuel costs by driving an EV

5.6%

of Ontario's new vehicles in Q2 2022 were zero-emission vehicles; the highest % ever!

As one of Canada’s largest clean generators, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) operates a diverse and sustainable fleet of clean energy sources. The company is now working to expand this fleet with more renewable and clean technologies to power Ontario's increasing number of electric vehicles.

Carey, Climate Guardian

Stop and Go Green

To complete this Mission, you must:

  • Read through the Mission Brief to learn how driving can contribute to climate change.
  • Share our green driving tips with the drivers in your household and keep track of their green driving for a week.
  • When you’re done, let us know how you did - and don’t forget to share a picture so you can earn 20 points!
Download Mission Brief
Meet Carey the Guardian

Eco Driving Test

As part of this mission, you'll need to find an adult who drives and ask them to take the Eco Driving Test. Get them to complete the written test first, and then use the driving checklist to figure out how environmentally-friendly their driving is.

Download Test

Go Green FAQs

When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, transportation is a big problem. Climate Guardian Carey’s biggest pet peeve is cars when it comes to air pollution. When it comes to transportation and how it affects our environment, she is an expert and happy to answer your common questions.

A machine that transports people or things from place to place, including cars, buses, trucks, airplanes, trains, and boats. 

A gas vehicle is a car powered by gas that emits harmful pollutants into the air. These include nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), Sulphur oxides (Sox), and other particulates.

Unlike regular vehicles, which need gas to run, electric vehicles, or EVs, need to be charged with electricity. Range, or the distance they can travel, can vary by model, but some EVs are getting close to driving as far as your typical gas car.

These are special engines that turn off when the car is stopped but keep the rest of the car running. When the driver is ready to move again, all they have to do is put their foot on the gas and the engine turns back on. With these engines, we can say goodbye to idling!

Instead of relying on a gas engine, a hybrid car uses a gas engine AND an electric motor. Greenhouse gas emissions are still produced when the gas engine is running, but they stop when the car switches to the electric motor, allowing drivers to reduce their emissions overall.

You can evaluate how “green” the drivers in your family are and provide them with tips that you learn on how to be more environmentally-friendly. By helping your family make smart driving habits and exploring electric vehicles, you’ll become an Eco Driving Expert to help fight climate change. 

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