Some Projects Of Interest

Try this your Interesting Science Projects. Take a few discarded car oil containers, store them in a heated room for a day, then pour out the residual oil. That was the one of the Interesting Science Projects of David Grassby, a 14-year-old who lives in Thornhill. He got the idea while visiting a friend whose father was complaining about not being able to get all of the oil out of a can into his engine.

David wondered how much, on average, is left when people throw "empty" containers away. Like a good scientist, he collected over 100 discarded containers from trash cans and service stations. After draining 100 of them for two minutes each, David recovered 3.7 litres of oil, an average of 37 millilitres per discard.

After phoning several oil companies, he finally managed to calculate that annual sales of passenger car oil in Canada amount to 220 million litres, of which 132 million are in one-litre containers, although executives of one company told him that is a low estimate.

That means over five million litres of oil are wasted and end up contaminating soil and water annually. As well, David calculated that 10 million kilograms of empty plastic receptacles end up in dumps each year.

He suggested that large drums of motor oil could be kept at each gas station so that motorists could fill up their own reusable container or the oil could be pumped directly into the car like gas.

He sent a copy of his study to PetroCan, Shell, Sunoco and Imperial, receiving a reply only from PetroCan. David also sent his report to the print and electronic media.

The radio program, As It Happens, arranged for David to meet the president and executives of Esso Petroleum. At the meeting, David suggested the use of large barrels for bulk distribution of oil but the executives replied that it was impossible because of the wide variety of grades of car oil.

The teenager replied that he had read that 90 per cent of all car oil sold was 5W30. The company reps had no response.

Calling this The Unknown Oil Spill, David has printed a brochure of his results, with suggested solutions and addresses of people to write to.

To date, Ruth Grier, Ontario's environment minister, has not answered his letter.

This is an important story on many levels.

Like the child in the parable about the emperor with no clothes, David, with his simple science project (good scientific experiments are usually simple), goes straight to the heart of a fundamental issue - unsustainable and unnecessary waste and pollution.