Oh Christmas Tree – Are your leaves so unchanging?

Each passing Christmas season seems to open the great debate with Canadians regarding our values surrounding real versus artificial trees for the holiday season. But as I pass the curbs and countrysides this year I hear the news that in 2014 Canadians spent more money on fake (artificial) trees than on real ones (Ottawa Citizen, 2014). Are there hidden values of…

Holy Cow – Are We Cooking With Gas?

Call it a burp or a belch, but its nothing more than gas. In ruminants (cows, sheep, and goats) enteric fermentation typically is a daily occurrence, including a prolonged digestive process consisting of burps, belches, air biscuits, gas – whichever term you prefer. Ruminants release methane (CH4), which potentially contribute to increases in greenhouse gases….

Agriculture – is it a source or a sink?

Agriculture plays a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions such as nitrous oxide, methane, and even small bits of carbon dioxide.  Which in terms of greenhouse gas management often begs the question – should agriculture be identified as a source, or as a sink? According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a carbon source…