Look at Brazil's forward thinking

Brazil is light years ahead when it comes to strategic thinking, education, skills and trades development, innovation and foreign trade. An Alberta man who works in the cattle industry told me that Brazilian producers are very wise in their practice of animal husbandry in that they use every part of the animal to make everything from high-quality food products to leather goods, like shoes and covers for bibles.

Just recently, I read that Brazil mandates that its gasoline be blended with 20 to 25 per cent ethanol, largely derived from its own production of sugar cane. Brazil grows sugar cane and produces sugar for export. It also uses its sugar cane facility to produce two types of fuel: blended fuel and pure ethanol fuel for specially designed and manufactured vehicles.

Brazil did not put all its eggs in one basket.

Brazil developed a flex-fuel vehicle policy and the policy has been in place since 2003. Brazil's flex-fuel policy allows the country to capitalize upon sugar cane production, produce both sugar and ethanol fuel, and weather out fluctuations in the price of a pound of sugar or a barrel of oil.

Brazil no longer imports 80 per cent of its oil, like it did in the 1970s. Brazil reduced its dependence on foreign nations, reduced its oil imports, and reduced its carbon footprint through a flex-fuel policy and innovation.

Brazil is flexible. Brazil doesn't have a government department of truth. Brazil continues to permit Christian education in its public schools.

Kudos to Brazil.

Maxine Faith Athene, Regina