Earth Day 2022: Building a zero-emissions future, together
Earth Day offers an opportunity to contemplate what it means to be a good steward of the Earth. For our Solectrac family, every day is ‘Earth Day’— it’s part of our commitment to building clean, sustainable agricultural technology that supports the health of our communities and our planet.
For over 50 years people from all walks of life have united to advocate for environmental protection on Earth Day, just as they first did on April 22, 1970, when over 20 million Americans came together to support environmental protection. Motivated by the unrestrained exploitation of resources, lack of pollution controls on industry, and health impacts from industrial development, people connected through a common goal of creating measures protecting their environment, communities, and families.
The Solectrac e25 Electric Tractor at LA Compost
While progress has been made by industry to incorporate improved air and water pollution standards, including the formation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Clean Air Act, and Clean Water Act, there is still work to be done. A problem called “air pollution” in the 1970s has now expanded into what we today recognize as climate change. According to the EPA, transportation accounts for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions, followed by electricity generation at 25%, industry at 23%, commercial and residential at 13% and agriculture at 11%.
In the transportation sector, an increased adoption of electric vehicles has led to exciting new developments in the decrease greenhouse gas emissions. In the agricultural sector, Solectrac is leading the transition to electric tractors, allowing the agricultural sector to sequester carbon instead of contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.
Our e25 electric tractor is helping one of our recent customers, Michael Martinez, founder of non-profit organization LA Compost, accomplish exactly that. LA Compost offers several locations in LA County where community members can drop off food and garden waste and come together to participate in the composting process. Composting reduces methane from landfills, a powerful greenhouse gas, by turning waste into useful soil amendments. The e25 helps customers like Michael move greater amounts of material with time and ease compared to shovels and pitch forks.
Watch the video below to see the e25 in action:
Agriculture offers a unique opportunity for electrification because the charging infrastructure often already exists. Most barns and operations already have electrical circuits that can charge a tractor. If the infrastructure does not exist, electricity can come from solar, which eliminates all greenhouse gas emissions except for those that occurred during the manufacturing of the panels and the tractor. In many states, incentives are also available for the purchase of solar systems.
Solectrac was founded with the intention to improve the way we grow our food and nurture the soil in which it grows. Through zero-emissions electric tractors, we offer our customers the opportunity to farm without contributing to pollution, to grow food without adversely impacting workers’ respiratory and auditory heath, and to produce crops that are free from particulate exhaust.
The Solectrac e70N Electric Tractor
Every action, big and small, can help make a positive impact on the environmental health of our communities and our planet. On an individual level, there are many sustainable choices we can incorporate into our daily lives; we can donate our time or money to organizations that protect our environment, support local and state legislation for environmental protection, bike instead of drive on our daily commutes, commutes, practice mindful consumption, compost in our communities or backyards, plant a garden, and purchase our food from local farmers.
At Solectrac, we’re committed to a future of farming that is zero-emission and regenerative. A future where technology helps us become better stewards of our land, our communities, and our planet.
We are excited to have you along for the journey.
Happy Earth Day!
