Gas vs. Electric Cars

I think it'll be just a matter of time before our governments outlaw gasoline as a propellant for cars,  Other jurisdictions have already done it!  Britain is the most recent, saying it will outlaw gasoline in 2040!  my question is; why?

A little over a hundred and ten years ago, the automobile was just coming into being.  Engineers and scientists experimented with different ways of fueling and propelling these new contraptions.  There were steam powered cars, methane powered cars, electric cars and gasoline powered cars all roaring around,

Eventually the gasoline powered cars won out, and the others faded away.  There were no laws outlawing them.  Gasoline just happened to be the most efficient and least expensive way of powering these new machines!

Now, environmentalists say we must stop using gasoline because it creates too much pollution.  Major car companies have all joined the race to create cars using other fuels, mostly electric powered though batteries.  These vehicles are becoming more efficient in every new model coming out but they are still more expensive then their gasoline powered equivalents.  Some of the processes making components and power for those electric cars create huge amount of pollution!

Why don't governments just stay out of it?  Gasoline won out in 1910 because it was the cheapest and most efficient.  When electric cars are the cheapest and more efficient than gasoline powered cars, they will win too!

Volcanoes and the Carbon Levy

Boy, did I ever kick up some dust with that comment about carbon dioxide and volcanoes in my last blog!  

I stand by what I said!  There are scientists who agree with me and probably an equal or greater number of scientists who say I'm full of it!  And they don't mean CO2!  The argument is something akin to arguing who left the barn door open after the horse escaped.  

In my opinion, the truth of it is that the carbon levy will do nothing for the environment.  It will however, make friends for our Premier in some circles, so she can push for the pipelines!  Maybe that's a good thing!  And even if the new tax did work, the affect on overall carbon dioxide levels in the earth's atmosphere would be negligible at best!

Ah well, I guess the Premier can say that she tried!

Trees are Part of the Solution

I have two words for Premier Notley and her carbon reduction plans; Plant trees!  

Maybe our premier and her colleagues don't realize that during its lifetime, a tree will absorb more than 40 tonnes of carbon dioxide and pollutants from the air, and replace that with life giving oxygen!  In the summer, deciduous trees provide shade on hot summer days and lower the temperature beneath them by up to ten degrees celsius!  The roots and trunk of a tree can hold thousands of litres of water to be released through transpiration at drier times!

I hope that Premier Notley and her government will twig in soon about trees (pun intended) and divert some of that carbon tax money toward raising and planting more trees!  Trees are not the magic solution to the problem of lowering our "carbon footprint," but they are certainly part of the solution!

A Greener Alberta?

We are being inundated by adds from the provincial government telling us that we can look forward to a greener, more diversified Alberta economy with the Climate Leadership Plan.  They show us pictures of wind powered generators, solar panels, and hydroelectric facilities. 

They seem to have forgotten one of Alberta's biggest sources of energy; oil and natural gas.  What is our government doing to help the petroleum industry find ways to make their products greener?  I know for a fact that such research and development exists, where is our government on this? 

With these huge oil, coal, and gas reserves in Alberta, it would seem logical that the Alberta government be encouraging and financing research to find ways to make those products environmentally friendly.

Their biggest contribution appears to be their new Carbon Levy which, in my opinion, discourages any research into making petroleum greener.  It instead encourages us to buy less petroleum products to avoid the tax.  I'm having a problem seeing the logic here.

Does our new NDP government expect the big oil companies to shut down oil production and start building windmills?

Economy vs. the Environment: A Silly Choice!

I saw in the Herald this morning that the Angus Reid Institute polled some 1500 Canadians to ask the what is the bigger priority; economic growth or protecting the environment?  What a silly choice!  That's like asking someone;  When walking, which leg is more important, your right leg or your left leg?

As I see it, the correct answer would be "both"!  If we have economic growth without focussing on environmental responsibility we'll do more damage to our world so it (or parts of it) will become uninhabitable. 

Likewise, if we concentrate on scrapping all economic development to protect the environment, our economy will tank.  Millions will become unemployed. Our way of life and standard of living will become seriously compromised.

Projects like the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion must be built but not at the expense of the environment. 

I truly believe that Canada and Canadians must support economic development, but concentrate on environmental protection along with it!  We can do both! The two are not mutually exclusive!

What's Killing our Trees?

Many have noticed that several of the beautiful big poplar trees between Beacon Heights and North Road are sick and/or dying. The problem started a couple of years ago at the east end  and has proceeded West at an alarming rate.

The Village of Beiseker has recently taken steps to find out why these trees are dying.  I was totally shocked when preliminary soil tests revealed a high concentration of chemicals in the ground killing the trees!  How the chemicals got there is a mystery. More testing will be done to pinpoint the concentrations and hopefully track down their source.

I'm having trouble believing that anyone would purposefully poison these poplar trees but I must consider all possibilities.  I'm hoping it was some kind of an innocent accident.  If you can shed any light on this mystery please contact the Beiseker Village Office at 403-947-3774.

Please, Plant A Tree!

If you really want to do something about the rising carbon dioxide level and pollution in our atmosphere, plant a tree.  One tree will filter out 40 tonnes of pollutants and thousands of cubic meters of carbon dioxide from the air, in its lifetime!

It will also release thousands of cubic meters of pure, life giving oxygen back into the air during that time!

Trees also provide home for birds and shade on those sunny days.  Evergreens provide a winter windbreak while deciduous trees allow the winter sun to shine through. Trees hold back a tremendous amount of water, which helps prevent flooding. Trees can be harvested for wood.  Fruit trees provide apples, crab apples, pears, and a few other hardy varieties of fruit.  Maple trees (even the Manitoba Maples around here) can provide sap to make maple syrup! 

Some of Beiseker's trees are old and reaching the end of their lifespans, especially the poplars.  As they are removed from your property, buy and plant a replacement. Your descendants will thank you!

Recycling Works in Beiseker!

Former village councilor Fred Walters attended our last council meeting to give a report on the workings of Beiseker Recycling.  Fred has always been a huge supporter of  recycling here in the village, and volunteers countless hours to that program!  He was able to report that the recycling programs here are meeting their goals, and are pretty much breaking even as far as cost is concerned.

Village home owners pay a small bi-monthly fee to have weekly curbside pick-up of most common recyclables - paper, plastic, metal cans, glass, and cardboard.  Residents can also recycle used oil, old batteries, old electronics, paint and paint cans free of charge, at the recycling depot behind the Public Works Shop.

I believe we have one of the most comprehensive recycling programs for a municipality our size anywhere in Alberta!  We should be proud of that.

Most of the materials we recycle get turned into new products which helps reduce Beiseker's overall carbon footprint.  It costs less in energy to recycle a material into a new product, than it does to use raw materials.  For example, producing paper products is cheaper when using recycled paper than producing paper from wood pulp in a paper mill.  Overall, it requires less energy and therefore produces less environmental pollutants, mainly carbon dioxide.

I am concerned that the supporters of creating energy by burning what is now recycled, have not done the math.  Incineration might actually raise the amount of pollutants (CO₂) and therefore enlarge our carbon footprint!