What People Are Saying

Our_Horizon_CSI_Talk
“I have never seen an idea as brilliant as this one. It’s very cost effective… I have to congratulate Mr. Shirkey on an absolutely outstanding job. This is the best thing that I’ve seen come across my desk in 10 years.”
>> Guelph City Councillor Bob Bell (video)

“I heard Rob speak at a Net Impact event for MBAs. The idea is elegantly simple and scalable.”
>> Rick Smith, prominent Canadian author and environmentalist.

“I think this is the kind of intervention that makes a lot of sense. It doesn’t seem to be very expensive. It’s going to be visible to people. We know it works fairly well with cigarette warning labels.”
>> London City Councillor Jesse Helmer (video)

“Shirkey speaks at breakneck pace with a lawyer’s clarity and the energy of a children’s entertainer.”
>> DeSmog Canada article.

“Labels on gas pumps? Brilliant!”
>> Tzeporah Berman, Canadian environmentalist, campaigner and writer.

“It speaks to people precisely at the point in time when they need this message… How that message is framed is equally as important as when they receive it.”
>> Toronto City Councillor Mike Layton on why he likes the idea in the Toronto Star.

“I heard Rob’s presentation at the Waterloo Citizens’ Environmental Advisory Committee. There’s a lot more to the idea than meets the eye and I’m glad we invited him to fully explain it. The committee has considerable interest in the labelling proposal and I look forward to exploring further in the new term.”
>> Waterloo City Councillor Mark Whaley.

“Rob is a visionary who is not only looking to change the course of climate change, but our relationship with the environment. Through the Our Horizon initiative, Rob will revolutionize how we think about our environmental impact. He is also an innovative and inspiring entrepreneur who is engaging with youth across the country to take the lead in this movement. He was an excellent speaker at our Me to We Take Action Camp and is inspiring our youth to stand up for issues they care about.”
>> Alex Meers, Director, Me to We Leadership Programs.

CIGI_Talk

“Warning people about the dangers of unchecked fossil fuel consumption at a primary point of purchase is a stroke of subversive genius. It would force us to consider the true cost of every tank of gas, not just the price per litre. It would challenge our willful blindness reflex.
>> Eric Rumble, Editor-in-Chief, Alternatives Journal.

“Rob is an eco-visionary who will stop at nothing to drive positive change.”
>> Brad Zarnett, Founder and Executive Director at The Toronto Sustainability Speaker Series (TSSS).

“Out of the minds of youth come great things… I hope that we can be the first or second in Canada to do it.”
>> West Vancouver Councillor Bill Soprovich after hearing 16-year-old resident Emily Kelsall present the idea.

“I think it’s a great idea.”
>> Fredericton’s Deputy Mayor Eric Megarity after hearing students Nicholas Decarie and Karen Buckle present the idea.

“Rob gave an hour long guest lecture to my MBA class on his climate change labelling proposal. It was one of the most compelling talks I’ve seen in a while. I was surprised to learn the extent of inefficiency in carbon fuels, as exemplified by the car engine, and the amount of pollutants released into the atmosphere. There’s a lot more to the idea than is evident at first glance… I’m glad we got the full pitch.”
>> George Fleischmann, Lecturer at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.

“Robert came to speak to my global management classes at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University, to explain the goals of Our Horizon and discuss his path to success. Students were thrilled with his inspirational talk that demonstrated leadership and commitment to an idea being proposed in the public interest. Rob is making a huge personal sacrifice for our common good. In my mind, this makes Rob a great Canadian who I hope our country will appreciate and remember with fondness. I highly recommend him as a speaker.”
>> Deborah de Lange, BASc, CPA, CMA, MBA, PhD Assistant Professor, Global Management Studies, Ted Rogers School of Management.

“Rob is a very engaging speaker and brings a refreshing and unique perspective to the discussion of climate change and social action. The presentation challenges us to look at our complicit relationship with the automobile and fossil fuels. Rob’s message helps bridge the gap between the individual and the ‘big picture’ problems and solutions.  This talk is well constructed, visually appealing and engaging for diverse audiences.”
>> Dr. Erik Krogh, P.Chem., Co-Director, Applied Environmental Research Laboratories, Department of Chemistry, Vancouver Island University.

“I’ve been to all 19 COP meetings and I’ve never seen an idea so simple yet so powerful.”
>> Delegate at the United Nations COP19 in Warsaw, Poland upon seeing Our Horizon‘s gas nozzle.

Amanda Lang CBC

“Robert gave a presentation to our Newmarket Environmental Advisory Committee in the fall of 2014. In additional to sitting on the committee, I’m also an environmental professional and am used to hearing about up-and-coming ideas and products that will change the sustainability landscape. The Our Horizon initiative is one of the most interesting I’ve seen and its genius for me, lies in its simplicity. Capitalizing on one of the few ubiquitous activities of a regular schedule – fueling our vehicles – Our Horizon challenges the normality of burning fossil fuels right at the point of sale and eloquently prompts the consumer to think about their actions. I look forward to continuing to explore the initiative in 2015.”
>> Phil Breault, Member of the Newmarket Environmental Advisory Committee

“Genius proposal.”
>> Upworthy, the fastest growing media website of all time.

“Just like we have on all packs of cigarettes, smoking cigarettes has been known by the surgeon general to cause cancer. We would love to see this idea spread all over the country.”
>> San Francisco Supervisor John Avalos on climate change labels on gas pumps.

“I think it’s a clever way to get more people to think… It’s not going to immediately cease purchase at the gas pump. That’s not our goal. The point of sale is a great place to have people stop and think about the impact.”
>> Berkeley City Councillor Kriss Worthington on the city’s decision to pursue proposal.

“I think the industry realizes that climate change is real. There are a lot of efficiencies in the petroleum industry in terms of using less product and using it more efficiently. This will help move that along. I think it’s something the industry will not object to.”
>> Michael Smith, Mayor of West Vancouver interviewed on Global TV on his Council’s resolution calling for labels on gas pumps across Canada.

“[B]urning gasoline does more than just damage the climate. It also has more clearly local impacts, such as on air quality and on the urban heat island effect. The combined effect of these local impacts, and the real local pain caused by climate change as a whole, could be enough of a municipal nexus to support a labelling bylaw.”
>> Dr. Dianne Saxe, a Canadian lawyer recognized as one of the top environmental lawyers in the world, in Municipal World.

“This is a modest proposal. We have also reviewed the language and we believe it to be legally ironclad and likely to withstand any court challenge.”
>> Igor Tregub, Vice Chair of the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Sierra Club on KPFA radio.

“Our Horizon was one of the best presentations I have seen in a long time. Rob demanded a lot from the students: attention, a healthy imagination, open mindedness and most importantly hope for the future. He delivered a well argued plan for municipal action on climate change that was thoroughly researched and rigorously presented, covering science, sociology, social marketing, political action and public health. I would not hesitate to have Our Horizon back to our school.”
>> David Gordon, Dunbarton High School, Pickering.

London City Councillor Jesse Helmer

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