A Blairgowrie climate activist wants to see motorists sitting with their engine idling hit with an instant £80 fine and points on their licence.
Alan Ross, 60, says more needs to be done if Scotland is to meet its climate change targets of having zero emissions by 2045.
And he hopes one way ordinary people can make a big difference is by cutting down on engine idling when nipping to the shops or picking someone up.
It is actually illegal to have your engine idling and it is punishable with a £20 fixed penalty notice.
But Mr Ross says he feels the law is not enforced enough, and thinks there should be tougher penalties on those caught breaking the law.
‘Humanity is literally on the edge’
Mr Ross said: “There is an existential threat to humanity bearing down upon us – the climate emergency and the collapse of our life support system.
“The UN wants to keep temperatures limited to a 1.5 degree increase, so we need to reduce our emissions by 40% by 2030.
“But considering the future of humanity is literally on the edge here it feels like we are looking at an increase in our emissions, not a decrease.
“That is the reality and we are on course for our society to become unrecognisable.”
Mr Ross said he has been taking note of just how many cars are idling around his own neighbourhood and said he was “absolutely shocked” to find it happening outside almost every shop and on almost every street.
He added: “At the bus depot in town for example you see people standing in line waiting and breathing in all those fumes.
“Almost 40,000 people a year die from air pollution in the UK and we are ignoring one of the worst offenders.
“I don’t know whether it is down to ignorance or blind stupidity.”
Calls for harsher fines
After attending the protests at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow last year, Mr Ross has now submitted a petition to the Scottish Parliament calling for the government to take more decisive action on those caught engine idling.
He would like to see it reclassified as a “high traffic offence” and give local authorities a legal obligation to enforce the ban.
He also wants to see the penalty raised from £20 to an instant £80 fine.
‘Blind eye’
Mr Ross added: “The climate targets are doable, but we have cars, lorries, buses and taxis everywhere sitting polluting the atmosphere as if they are immune to this emergency.
“The Scottish Government is turning a blind eye to it.
“I know governments and councils need to be careful where they spend their money after Covid but we need to make harsh choices.
“It feels like no one is making enough of an effort.”
Mr Ross also has a petition on change.org calling for the law to be more strictly enforced and it has been signed by more than 500 people.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “Vehicle idling can cause air pollution which is why unnecessary idling is an offence.
“All local authorities have powers in relation to vehicle idling.”
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