Now there’s an anti-Greta. HT Benny Peiser. Compost this takeout box; it’s lined with seaweed and “fully recyclable.” HT Waste Dive. Renewable energy costs more than we think.
Search Results for: energy
Thursday’s Links
Boris Johnson says Britain will ban gas, hybrid, and diesel cars by 2035. ‘Why not embrace policies and practices that focus on climate mitigation and adaptation?’ Can humans prevent climate change? Probably not, says Rex Tillerson.
Wednesday’s Links
Are droughts getting worse? Republicans move toward a climate change bill. (Think “trees.”) Roger Pielke explains the “Great Climate Scenario” debate.
Tuesday’s Links
Environmentalists’ latest weapon against high-yield agriculture: honey bees. Myron Ebell explains the Democrats new “omnibus” climate bill. Crescent Dunes, the Nevada solar project that failed, will cost taxpayers $737 million.
Curbside Recycling: A Costly Mistake
Recycling companies are facing hard times. Partly that’s because in 2017 China started closing its doors to waste. It doesn’t accept mixed paper or most plastic or electronic waste.
Although some recycling (such as electronic waste) has been relocated to South Asia, the dwindling market for recycled material has sent prices downward, making it difficult for the entire industry.
But the biggest problems face companies—and communities—that pick up and sort household. Approximately 60 curbside programs were canceled in 2017, “with even more drop-off site closures and material limitations,” says Waste Dive, a newsletter about the waste industry. (The newsletter does note some programs that had been dropped have come back.)
Material that is supposed to be recycled is ending up in landfills, an Atlantic article said earlier this year. Companies are debating how to cope with the shrinking market. A debate over the “single-stream” versus dual-stream (requiring homeowners to separate recyclables) continues.
A Big Factor in Australian Fires
The Australian fires bring back sad reminders of the California experience. As with American wildfires, an ounce of prevention could have gone a long way to decrease the destruction.
As explained by Kat Dwyer of PERC, in a recent article in The Hill, an Australian law is making matters worse.
Controlled burns, once routinely used by farmers to reduce fuel around their properties, can now result in fines exceeding $500 per tree removed. Indeed, Liam Sheahan, a resident of Strath Creek in central Victoria, was fined $50,000 for clearing trees and shrubs around the perimeter of his home. He spent an additional $50,000 on legal fees defending his decision. After the Black Saturday bushfires devastated his community, Sheahan’s decision was vindicated as his home was the only one to remain standing.