Local MP Norman Baker is giving his support to local primary school children in Lewes, Seaford, Newhaven and Polegate who will be making their communities nicer places to be in rush hour by taking part in Walk to School Week [19-23 May 2008].
Mr Baker, who is also the Lib Dem Shadow Transport Secretary, has taken the opportunity of Walk to School Week to highlight the environmental damage caused by the school run. Figures obtained by Living Streets, who organise Walk to School Week, reveal that the average drive to primary school and back produces enough carbon dioxide to inflate 60 balloons. Mr Baker has also spoken about the benefits to children's health that walking to school can bring.
The theme of this year's walk to school week, organised by Living Streets, is 'noise' and pupils will be encouraged to explore the local environment by listening out for how many sounds are missed each day by being cocooned in cars - whether that's the tweeting of birds, the clip clopping of shoes or the sound of their friends' voices. It is also an opportunity to highlight the benefits of children getting to know their communities through walking to school.
Commenting, Norman said:
"Walk to School Week and this year's theme of noise is a fun way to teach children about the more serious issue that we all need to start walking more and using the car less. One in five car journeys made is for a journey less than a mile and, shockingly, the number of children travelling to school by car has doubled over the past 20 years.
"What is more, it is short, stop-start journeys like the school run that use the most fuel and cause the most pollution. This means that some of the easiest cutbacks we can make when it comes to car use will actually reap massive benefits both for children's health and for the local environment. This is why I am both supporting Walk to School Week and encouraging parents, wherever possible, to help their children walk to school all year around."
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