The Environmentally-Friendly Tesla

One of the most impressive cars on the market today is the Tesla Model S. Despite the fact Tesla didn't release a new car, it was named Consumer Report's Best Car for the second year in a row. Out of all the electric vehicles, Tesla has the most advanced and efficient battery system that allows it to go farther on a single charge, travelling close to 400 km. Having an electric car like this reduces your carbon emissions for most areas of the world. Electric vehicles are more harmful to build, but the negative effects decrease after that. It depends on how the electricity is created, as coal burns dirtier than a gasoline engine. Here in Manitoba, with hydroelectricity, it is definitely a good choice.

 

Bikes

Instead of driving a vehicle everyday to and from school, my friend and I have started to bike the 17km trek to school. We do it on days when we don't have sports, and when the weather and our legs cooperate. Not only is it good for the environment, as it produces zero emissions, it is quite healthy as well. It means that I can get 90 minutes of intense physical activity solely in my commute. It is also quicker than taking a school bus. When I arrive at school in the morning, I am alert and awake. If you don't want to pay the ridiculous price of gasoline or a car, simply ride a bike instead.
 

Slight Change of Plans

Due to a misconception I had about the state of our tree order, my plans had to change. Originally I had hoped to plant 600 one year old evergreens. I was told that my family had ordered the trees, when in reality my parents only had 600 trees in their online cart. When we returned to finalize our order, the trees were sold out. In place of those trees, we purchased two year old trees that were more expensive. It ended up costing around $275 for 250 colorado spruce trees. The website is run by the Manitoba Forestry Association, called ThinkTrees. In addition to providing a cheap source for purchasing young trees, it also offers information and classes to learn about planting trees. It is more most efficient way to plant large amount of trees, as the cheapest tree costs only 50 cents, and can be bought in large quantities.

To make up for the smaller order, I will be taking some willow tree cuttings. In the spring, willow trees have yellow branches that are filled with the young plant cells that allow them to create roots while sitting in water. After leaving the branches in buckets of water for a couple of weeks, I should be able to plant them successfully.

What is Global Warming?

To understand the passion behind my passion project, Global Warming must be understood. Global Warming refers to the long term change in climate that has been caused primarily through human action. The scientific explanation for the increased heat is the accumulation of additional Greenhouse Gases,  carbon compounds such as Carbon Dioxide and Methane. When we burn anything, from firewood to fuels for our cars, we produce unnatural levels of gas that traps heat into the atmosphere, not allowing it to regulate. The atmosphere heats up, warming the oceans and melting the icecaps. There are many things that contribute carbon to the air, but only one main way to remove it, being plants. Plants take in carbon through photosynthesis, depositing the carbon into the soil where it isn't harmful.

Example of Air Pollution