Lake Health & Restoration

Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution is one of the most environmentally damaging, difficult, and expensive to clean up.  The Canadian government has pledged to ban single use plastics by the end of 2021.  This is a great opportunity for us to change the way we manage single use plastics and convert our system over to biodegradable plastics and composite fiber alternatives. Composite fiber materials made from wool and plants like hemp, bamboo and other grasses with rapid growth rates and high fiber content. 

The ability to grow fiber crops exists across Canada from coast to coast and our agricultural sector is more than ready with abundant capacity to produce all the raw material to support an industry.  All Canadians need is the manufacturing infrastructure that would not only provide products to replace single use plastics but many other plastics, fiberglass, oil-based fabrics, aluminium, and steel products as well.

This infrastructure could easily be supported initially by our government with a recycling and disposal fee of 15% on all IMPORTED single use plastics and single use plastic packaging.  The revenue would be more than enough to initiate facilities in every province that will eventually employ 1/4 million Canadians and eventually over 2000 products for domestic use and for export markets.  There would be enough revenue left over to eliminate sales tax on Canadian made products from this industry plus eliminate the sales tax on restaurant meals, food service meals and our seniors could also be sales tax exempt.  There will be politicians that will say this is not possible and have all kinds of reasons that support their claim. We need to gently remind them that they work for us and this is what we want.

HOME AND INDUSTRIAL WATER RECYCLING 

AIR, SOIL,WATER QUALITY & OUR HEALTH ARE TIGHTLY CONNECTED

WATER QUALITY

Healthy soils covered with plants can absorb excess water reducing runoff and soil erosion. Surface water runoff carry’s nutrients and sediment to the tributaries feeding the lake.  Soil erosion accounts for 70% of the nutrient and sediment overloading in our water supply.

FIELD EDGE RIPARIAN BUFFER ZONES

WITH BUFFER

No soil loss
No clean out cost
¾ ac. buffer annual cost to net income = $187.50

COVER CROPS

FULL SEASON PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Zero chance of erosion.

RE-INTRODUCE LIVESTOCK

WILDLIFE AND POLLINATOR HABITAT RETURN WITH A RESURGANCE OF BIRD POPULATIONS.

RELAY CROPPING

DOUBLE CROPPING

COVID ECONOMIC RECOVERY

Covid-19 and its variants have stressed our society and our economy. It has taught us a lot about the need for strong local economies built on small business platforms which means looking at place or country of origin before looking at the price tag. Pay a little more, expect higher quality, experience the value of personal service and ensure strong local communities with the ability to deal with events beyond our control.

What can we do. The small efforts today with big payback for our Canadian future.

As I said – Shop Local. Check country of origin first before price. Seek out locally produced and locally grown products first. Ask the “Big Box” store to start choosing Canadian products first and if they are not willing put them into second or third choice on your shopping list. I am not saying this will be easy and for some people simply not affordable however over time if we all make an effort our Canadian prices will be able to come more in line and more price competitive against overseas products which are for the most part selected on price, and in the example of food not only price but storage and shipping characteristics with little or no selection based on nutritional value or taste. Be aware that some Canadian companies import goods and then repackage them listing Canada as country of origin. These companies must be reported and dealt with accordingly.

 The Bigger Picture

Our leadership needs some leadership from us. Don’t be satisfied with just posting about this on social media but make an effort to write and also call your constituency offices for all parties. Let them know what you will support in terms of new business and industry.

For example:

1) Grants for in home and business water recycling systems “made in Canada”  A number of excellent systems are being manufactured in Canada and your local plumber can also design a system for you that can be used for lawn and landscape watering, car washing and house washing.

2) Grants for backyard composting systems and instruction on how to use them easily and effectively. Composting can greatly reduce the nutrient loading of the lake especially the composting food waste and tree leaves.

3) We have already invested $500 million dollars in the development of a Canadian Electric car being designed and prototyped with Ford Motor company in Windsor. The word on the street is that it may not be manufactured in Canada.. We must insist that this car is built in Canada by Canadians for use by the world.  This effort requires all of us to speak our mind to our leaders. Our green energy plan proposals for Canada should be fulfilled by Canadian home grown labour and materials. This will only happen with our insistence.

4) The industrial hemp industry has been hobbled by legislation that was designed to ensure that the crop was below narcotic THC levels. The red tape has handcuffed the growth and development of an industry that can provide over 2000 household products which can all be manufactured right here in Canada. Uses include the replacement of many plastic products, paper products, cardboard, and the list grows on as the hemp fibers can be used to replace fiberglass, some steel and aluminum products and the oils can be used in cosmetics, lubricants, and medicines.  Hemp plays an important role in carbon sequestration as it is capable of sequestering carbon at rates of up to 10 tonne per year. It also can be used as a cover crop and buffer zone boundary crop which increases carbon sequestration potential of the acres where commercial crops are not using the full season to sequester carbon. Used as a boundary or buffer strip crop it can improve wildlife habitat, pollinator habitat and wind erosion protection. Government help is needed to kick start this industry. They need to reduce the red tape and unreasonable limits set by standards that were set more out of fear and ignorance than science.

This is potentially the fastest economic recovery tool we have that also has significant environmental air and water quality benefits. In the current plan, the government is planning to spend $3.6 billion to plant new trees. It will take an acre of newly planted trees up to 20 years to sequester as much carbon as an acre of hemp crop can sequester in its first season. We already have programs in place to encourage and support the forestry industry to maintain and improve our forests so this money needs to go to developing new industries that are productive right out of the gate.

In  2015 Canada committed to a 5 year program costing over $5 billion dollars for other countries to help them reduce their carbon footprint. That same amount of money invested in agriculture and industry here in Canada could help us exceed our carbon commitments that we agreed to in the Paris accord.

A company in Waterloo Ontario has made a good start and leading the way – check them out at https://hempearth.ca/category/hempearth-canada/