The United States continues to lag behind leading countries in pushing aggressive environmental programs to reduce pollutants and garbage. Two stories this week highlight the sharp and disappointing contrast. In Sweden, the government has made an incredible leap in reducing household garbage and appears close to attaining the impossible: a zero waste national objective for landfills. Currently, less than one percent of Sweden household garbage ends up in landfills. In the meantime, Germany (which continues to outstrip the U.S. on green policies while continuing strong economic growth) has announced that it will add one million electric cars on the road by 2030 and expects to drop greenhouse emissions from transportation by 26 percent by 2030 from 1990 levels.
Sweden has had astonishing success in reducing landfill waste which is notoriously bad for the environment from residual ground and air pollution as well as the failure to fully recycle trash. The Swedish government has pushed the concept of garbage as a commodity for recycling or fuel production. Swedish families now Produce just 461 kilograms of waste which is slightly below the half-ton European average, but the country does an amazing job in managing the trash.
One of the biggest reasons for the low level of landfill use is a law that I have often spoken about in some countries. In Sweden, producers are responsible for handling all costs related to collection and recycling or disposal of their products. This gives companies an incentive to reduce packaging and increase recycling.
As for Germany, we have previously discussed the incredible achievements of that country in alternative energy sources. Merkel’s government has now announced the plan to have the million electric cars on the road by 2020 and set the 26 percent drop as the goal. Germany is making these achievements while maintaining one of the strongest economies in the world.
These laws of course have the obvious value of not just reducing greenhouse gases but reducing pollution and improving public health. The garbage rules also force greater cost internalization for manufacturers rather than to allow them to simply externalize the costs of packaging and pollution.
For those of you certain you know what is what regarding climate science ……. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04f9r4k ” the hotter a scientific field (with more scientific teams involved), the less likely the research findings are to be true “
I do my part to save the planet…. I did not have kids , I reuse many plastic items, I dumpster dive , I don’t buy new clothes, furniture etc.
http://www.nrdc.org/media/2014/140428.asp ” CHICAGO (April 28, 2014) – Environmental groups today signaled their intention to sue the owners of two sites that together hold massive mounds of oil refining waste and coal on Chicago’s Southeast Side. The Southeast Environmental Task Force (SETF) and Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) mailed a letter giving 90-day notice of intent to sue an array of companies owned by Charles and David Koch, including the KCBX Terminals Company, and Koch brothers themselves in federal court.
The notice of intent to sue responds to complaints by neighbors and government authorities that dust emanating from the facilities has blackened the skies of the area, invaded homes, and polluted the Calumet River. This has raised serious concerns about the health and environmental impacts of particulate matter in the surrounding communities.
“It is thoroughly unacceptable for these piles to sit just a few hundred yards from people’s houses,” said Southeast Environmental Task Force executive director Peggy Salazar. “People are complaining about finding dust from these sites inside their homes. Black dust is coating their houses and probably their lungs. This has to stop. And hopefully this suit will achieve that.”
Petroleum coke (or petcoke) and coal are sources of dust particles that become airborne when moved or exposed to wind. Particulate matter can significantly harm human health when inhaled; exposure to particulates in sufficient levels has been associated with respiratory and cardiac problems including asthma, decreased lung function, and premature death.
Help! Comment eaten!
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
@Annie
Hmmm. Digging a little deeper:
An example: as of 2013, Evernote — a well-known software and service company — offered its employees a $250 per month allowance to buy an eligible plug-in electric car such as the Chevy Spark. $250 per month is $3,000 per year, or $18,000 for six years.
Now you’re down to zero. Free.
To summarize:
Car price: $28,000
Federal tax credit: $7,500
California state rebate: $2,500
$250 per month employer subsidy: $18,000 over 6 years
Net cost to you: Zero
Yes, somewhere between the Federal government, the California government, and your employer, you could have a free car for six years.
But wait, there’s more!
Not only do Mr. & Mrs. California get a free electric car, but they also get free fuel. Most public charging stations are free — many even include free parking. For example, if you live in Google’s (GOOG_) home town of Mountain View, just pull in at City Hall, park, and charge your car for free. It’s particularly convenient if you are having dinner around there, or live within walking distance.
[PLUS] The California government mandates sales of them! There’s nothing like forcing a product upon the people.
http://www.thestreet.com/story/12262655/1/why-electric-cars-are-selling-in-california-theyre-free.html
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Squeeky, I retrieved your comment at 7:03.
Well max, I’m going out on a limb here. I have not responded to you of late, but I’ll give it a shot. The Koch Brothers are very influential. It’s just that they’re the BOGEYMAN here. They do a lot of good stuff w/ their money. I know you hate their influence. And, I can abide that. It’s just the obsession w/ them that is tiring. Think before you respond.
@Nick Spinelli
“Think before you respond.”
Well, that just about sums it up. I guess I wasn’t thinking before. I needed a man to tell me that. Or a conservative.
I thought I asked a question. You answered it. Should have been enough said.
maxcato6, It seems like climate change denial and denial of the Koch Bros political activities go hand in hand.
@swarthmoremom
Indeed.
“electric cars are selling like crazy in some markets in CA.”
SOME markets. That is true. Some. If I still lived in the Bay Area, I would probably have one for putting around. There will always be a niche market for those types of vehicles but to try to push a top down, one size fits all electric car solution (or everyone recycle the same) just will not work.
All the subsidies or penalties in the world are not going to get people to buy or use something that won’t work, will leave you stranded on the side of the road and which is impractical in many other respects.
Of course it was time for a Koch Brothers link. I’m shocked it took so long.
@Nick Spinelli
Are you saying that the Koch Brothers aren’t at all influential? That they aren’t spending vast amounts of money to influence elections? Really?
Sandi, Stop talking sense. Many here FEEEL it doesn’t make any difference that Sweden s smaller. Actually Sweden is about the same size as California. We have 49 other states. When women say size doesn’t matter, they’re lying. It does.
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2014/04/right-wing-trains-its-hysterical-eye-renewable-energy “Evan Halper of the LA Times filed a story this weekend about new conservative efforts to fight America’s biggest energy scourge: solar power. And they’re dead serious:
The Koch brothers, anti-tax activist Grover Norquist and some of the nation’s largest power companies have backed efforts in recent months to roll back state policies that favor green energy. The conservative luminaries have pushed campaigns in Kansas, North Carolina and Arizona, with the battle rapidly spreading to other states.”
http://timesofsandiego.com/tech/2014/09/09/california-tops-100000-plug-electric-car-sales/
California tops 100,000 plug in electric car sales.
When do we get the Jetson’s cars? That’s what I’m waiting for.
http://austinenergy.com/wps/portal/ae/programs/plug-in-austin/electric-vehicle-drivers/ Austin Energy, a publicly owned utility, is also making it convenient to own an electric vehicle.
“Electric cars are just not possible in CA or TX. Americans use cars for all travel.’ Sandi Hemming Not exactly true… electric cars are selling like crazy in some markets in CA.
Back from actually working. Alas the job of a corporate CFO is grueling 🙂
Electric vehicles make a lot of sense in the cities. San Francisco and surrounding peninsula. Charge your car at night in your garage. Commute a few miles to work and use the convenient charging stations in the Google or other company parking lot. As long as you don’t want to go very far, they are pretty cool.
They are completely impractical in most areas outside of those environs. Long distance driving make it impractical because you can only go so far between charges. With most of them being about 100 miles on a charge. link:http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/evsbs.shtml to a sub compact. Yes yes yes. A Tesla goes much further but the cost of a Tesla is pretty pricy and out of the reach of many. In most electric vehicles, I wouldn’t be able to get to town before running out of charge.
In the cities where those cars are more frequent you “might” be able to find a charging station. However, it might not be convenient to where you wish to go. Gasoline stations, to my knowledge, don’t have charging stations. Even if you find a station, then you must wait for the vehicle to recharge, and according to the .gov website it takes 4 hours to charge up.
Plus the charge or miles per charge goes dramatically down when driving in snow, ice and cold temperature weather. As my husband says, when you get an electric or hybrid vehicle that can haul a John Deere tractor up a steep grade, then we can talk.
Once again the ideas that have merit in the urban areas are not practical for the rural. It doesn’t mean that they are bad ideas….they just don’t work. One size fits all ideas just do not work.
Thanks.
I just released a comment of Nick’s from the spam filter.
Squeeky,
Talk to Tesla.