Richard Jernigan -> RE: Insanity with "Bio" gas (Jul. 5 2011 16:04:10)
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Plastic trash solution: My ex-wife's Uncle Frank, a senior engineering manager with Texaco, was in charge of utilities for the big refinery at Bandar Abbas in Iran when it still belonged to the consortium of Texaco, Royal Dutch Shell and British Petroleum--now BP. Uncle Frank was in charge of electric generation, steam production, water purification, etc. As a gesture of friendship to the local population Uncle Frank installed fresh water taps in central locations at each of the surrounding villages. Once the supply was turned on, he observed with concern that the fresh water supply was dropping precipitously. Exploration revealed that where a main water pipe crossed a ravine, the cast iron pipe had been broken up with sledge hammers and chisels, with the pieces presumably sold for scrap. This was solved without much trouble by encasing the new pipe in several layers of steel and concrete, making the labor to steal the metal prohibitive. Still, the water supply dropped catastrophically. A tour of the surrounding villages revealed that all the water taps were turned on and running full blast. Uncle Frank spoke with the village elders and convinced them to turn off the taps. The next day the water supply resumed its calamitous drop. A tour of the villages revealed that the taps were again running full blast. Uncle Frank now consulted with a friend, an Iranian Army colonel who occasionally helped him with local cultural problems. The colonel advised Uncle Frank to consult the religious authorities. The mullahs informed him that there was a prohibition in the Q'ran forbidding the drinking of stagnant water. To the villagers, when the tap was turned off, the water became stagnant. Uncle Frank and the colonel explained the practicalities of the situation to the mullahs, who took the matter under advisement. After pondering the matter for a week, the mullahs issued a religious interpretation: once the water was turned on, it ceased to be stagnant. The villagers began turning off the tap. The successful project to supply water to the villages made Uncle Frank a local hero. I suggest that you obtain a religious ruling that it is wrong to discard plastic items carelessly. They should be properly recycled. Of course this suggestion contains a hint of irony, but it is based upon an observation that we share: people are relatively impervious to information. For example, it is perfectly clear to anyone who pays attention that economic inequity in the developed countries is increasing at an accelerating rate. In the U.S.A the middle and working classes achieved a measure of prosperity through two circumstances. America was the only industrial country left standing after WW II. Also, beginning in the 1920s the labor union movement developed into a major political power. Ironically enough this came about through the growth of gigantic corporations and industries which provided fertile fields for union recruitment and organization. The United Auto Workers, the United Mine Workers, the unions of the giant oil companies all became major political players. They supplied the majority of campaign funds and grass roots workers to the Democrat party. As a result, the Democrat party dominated U.S. politics for a considerable period, and acted in the interests of the middle and working classes. The labor union movement has declined steeply with the hollowing out of U.S. industrial production. Now neither party acts in the economic interests of the middle and working classes, and the Republicans actively work against them. Another example. In some U.S. cities, including Austin where I live, recycling is promoted in two ways. First, the city provides recycling services. The containers for my household refuse belong to the city. One is for edible garbage, the other for all recyclables. The city collects the recyclables and separates them into glass, steel, aluminum, wood products and so on, with appropriate recycling action for each stream. Secondly, the city enforces recycling. If the edible garbage collectors detect a significant fraction of recyclables in their containers, they can report it to the authorities, who investigate. If it is found that someone is violating the requirement to separate recyclables from edible garbage, they can be fined. This came about by organization and application of political power. Groups favoring recycling organized themselves and supported candidates for the city council who favored recycling. They won elections. Other city council members and candidates took notice and acted accordingly. Very, very few people did any recycling until the city provided the facilities for it, and began to fine people for failing to comply. The general population, as well as political authorities respond to power, not just the simple provision of information. But that's one of the things you have been complaining about, isn't it? Do you think it will change? RNJ
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