Local firm E.G. Gray Transportation unveiled its newest fleet member Thursday, a green, more ecologically friendly transport that’s one of a kind in Peterborough and may be the first of its kind to hit the road in Ontario, the company said.

The 2011 Volvo 780 runs on diesel fuel but puts out nearly no emissions, company president Dave Pogue boasted.

“It’s the latest in tractor and trailer technology. This truck, although it runs on the same diesel that other tractors run on, there is near zero emissions,” he said.

“They have removed the bulk of the particulates from the diesel fuel as it’s rescrubbed in the engine. Basically we are putting out cleaner air than what’s going in. Water and nitrogen, that’s it.”

Public transit users will be riding a little easier with more buses and more routes following a gas-tax funding announcement from the province.

Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal announced $1,482,340 for the city and $66,170 for the county Friday morning at his King St. office, along with Mayor Paul Ayotte and Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones.

“This means more buses, more operating dollars and more routes,” Leal said.

There is a need to expand urban transit, Leal said, and that includes new vehicles, new routes and getting more people out of their vehicles.

Commuters are encouraged to ditch their vehicles for a bike, bus, carpool or comfy pair of walking shoes during the eighth annual Shifting Gears campaign, beginning Friday.

Clifford McCarten, returning for his second year as the Shifting Gears ambassador, said the month-long event motivates residents to use alternative transportation to get to work during the month of May.

Individuals, or teams from businesses who sign up for Shifting Gears are challenged to use alternate forms of transportation as often as possible.

Participants have a shot at winning a $750 gift certificate for Resorts of Ontario and are entered into weekly draws for prizes.

Peterborough continues to grow and connect its network of trails and bike lanes, a city official told the arenas, parks and recreation committee on Tuesday.

As part of the ongoing improvements to the trail system, the city is installing 18 trail map signs at prominent locations this year, said Virginia Swinson, acting transportation demand management planner.

Peterborough Transit riders will soon have the option to use smart-cards instead of paying with coins to get on a bus with a new $1.5-million fare collection system.

City council approved the purchase from Garival on Monday after putting aside money for the project in the 2010 budget.

The new system should be installed and operating by September, transit operations manager Gary Noakes said Tuesday.

“The older system that we have is some 20 years old,” he said. “We will be into basically state-of-the-art, we’ll be up to the current model.

The executive director of Camp Kawartha says children who spend time outdoors are more likely to protect and care for the environment when they’re older.

That’s why educational programs, like the ones offered at the camp’s environment centre, are so important, he says.

“We’re here to teach kids about sustainability, about connecting with nature, and we want to do it in a fun and engaging way,” said Jacob Rodenburg.

He and Coun. Dean Pappas announced plans for Green-in-Motion, the camp’s annual fundraiser, at the centre on Wednesday.

Local residents who want to prove their dedication to environmental causes now have a special incentive to do so.

This month, Peterborough Green-Up is offering prizes to those who pledge an “act of green” as part of the non-profit group’s One Thousand Acts of Green contest.

The local organization is asking the people of Peterborough to register on its website, where they can calculate their personal impact on the environment—their “carbon footprint.”

Those who register will have the opportunity to commit to a simple act, such as turning off the tap while they brush their teeth, to reduce their carbon footprint and decrease their environmental impact.

Sunday night I was thinking a lot about patriotism. In the days following the terrorist attacks in New York City, Americans of all races and religions suddenly become engulfed in new found pride for their country. The American people have traditionally worn patriotism on their sleeve, but it became especially apparent after that unforgettable day.

What brought this subject to mind was the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Never before have I witnessed our nation come together with such a surge of red and white. It truly was a sight to behold and something the world was buzzing about the day after.

Unlike our neighbours to the south, flag waving isn’t something you see too much of in Canada. Aside from the “big day” on July 1, we’re usually quite subtle about our national identity. I think it goes a long way to show who we are as a country, and on the national stage it speaks volumes.

A portion of Peterborough’s Trans-Canada Trail will get a $428,972 facelift pending final approval by city council.

Council accepted a report Monday night outlining the budget for improvements to a 1.2- kilometre section of the trail running from the corner of Bethune and Brock streets to Bonaccord St.

The upgrades include hard surfacing of the trail, crossing upgrades to enhance safety where the trail intersects with Park, McDonnel and Reid streets and the installation of new lighting in the vicinity of the old railway crossing.

Criteria on ambient air quality by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment (MoE) is set at 40 micrograms of fluoride per 100 square centimetres over a period of 30 days, but Cameco’s Port Hope conversion facility exceeded that by 18 points in the third quarter, Rebecca Peters, superintendent of compliance and licensing, told Port Hope council Tuesday.

The third-quarter average was 19, but there was a 58 maximum reading, Peters said.

When asked specifically by Mayor Linda Thompson, Peters said Cameco investigated the cause once they realized the reading was not incompliance with the parameter set by the MoE, and discovered there were several “small releases” that came out through the HVAC system.