Saturday, 2 June 2012

Reducing our environmental footprint


I’ve really taken advantage of the weather over the past few days – track and field training outside with the sun shining, breathing in that crisp air. It’s totally rad.

We’re really lucky in Canada because our air is clean, not like the smog that hovers over other cities and countries throughout the world. We’ve been talking a lot about the environment in school, and how Albertans are considered good stewards of the land.

Like farmers.

Environmental stewardship is a top priority for my Grandpa – and all Alberta canola producers farmers, really. In addition to using the best and most-environmentally sound production practices, zero-tilling (seeding in last year’s stubble so that no top soil is lost to soil erosion), planting more seeds per square metre (to discourage weeds from growing and using the soil nutrients to feed themselves rather than the plant) and (I think I have Grandpa’s speech memorized), canola growers are developing products that are better for the environment, too.

Like using vegetable oil to reduce dust on the roads and in barns, using canola for chain saw oil so that spills do not harm the forests, and for outboard motor oil so that sports boats do not harm our lakes.

Canola biodiesel is even the fuel used to power Prairie Gold, the first and only Jet Engine Funny Car to run on 100% canola biodiesel.

Canola biodiesel is really catching on. Last year I went to a carnival where all of the rides were powered by canola biodiesel, and my teacher says that all vehicles must include a percentage of biofuels in the gas or biodiesel that they use in their gas tanks. Pretty cool, right?

Grandpa says canola biodiesel not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions and cleans the air, but it smells better, too. Like popcorn.
Uh…did someone say popcorn? Maybe my friends and I should go see a movie this weekend.

Gotta Jet!

- Chase Superman Duffy

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