Waterloo Region – Following the success of Reduce the Juice’s efforts last year to encourage residents to stop idling and find ‘greener’ ways of traveling, Reduce the Juice has planned a launch event for their 2009 campaign. The official launch took place yesterday at Waterloo Town Square.

Reduce the Juice, an environmental nonprofit organization, has again hired local youth to lead an educational program in July and August that will engage residents at various community events and in their neighbourhoods about reducing vehicle-related pollution. During this time last year, over 8,000 homes were visited and 1,557 pledges were completed, which resulted in commitments to actions that would save nearly 1,157 tonnes per year of greenhouse gases and reduce nearly 1,500 kgs of other pollutants.

Reduce the Juice may be most known for their renewable energy trailer, which produces solar-powered snow cones in return for completed pledge forms. Often seen at local community events, the renewable energy trailer is a useful tool for residents to make the connection between energy production, green house gases, and our personal carbon footprints.

Region of Waterloo Public Health has partnered with Reduce the Juice to provide these programs with the goal to help improve local air quality and reduce vehicle idling, particularly around schools. Reduce the Juice is also supported by the Cities of Waterloo and Kitchener, Waterloo Region District School Board, Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team, Grand River Transit, Region of Waterloo Travelwise Program, Greater Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, Sprout, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Service Canada, and Environment Canada’s EcoAction Community Funding Program.

The launch will include some introductory remarks from Regional Chair Ken Seiling and Medical Officer of Health Dr. Liana Nolan, as well as other prominent dignitaries from our community, before the festivities get under way.

Visit the Reduce the Juice website for more information about the current program and past projects: www.reducethejuice.ca