Guelph considers climate change warning labels on gas pumps

The City of Guelph is looking at putting warning labels on gas pumps that would remind people about how burning fossil fuels affects climate change.

Councillor Bob Bell made a motion Tuesday night, requesting staff look into it.

"I don't think anybody's going to stop using gasoline but it may reduce their consumption a small amount," said Bell. 

Guelph isn't the first Canadian city to look at this initiative — West Vancouver approved the labelling in January. Bell thinks the labels are a good idea because they'll make people think about climate change.

"To remind them that it is a problem that everyone has. It's not someone else's problem. Climate change affects everybody and everybody's responsible for it in some small way," said Bell. 

One of the risks of the program, according to Bell, is that gas station owners could take legal action if the bylaw was approved.