How can the US be labeled a polluter if we don't make anything anymore?

Lancer · February 16, 2004, 19:54

Must be industry out there somewhere... Or is it consumption? Should we stop heating our houses? Don't europeans heat their houses? Drive cars?

Why is the US picked on?

Kuciwalker · February 16, 2004, 20:00

Because the US is to blame for everything. Duh, Lancer, didn't you know that?

Whoha · February 16, 2004, 20:13

Didn't you see that captain planet cartoon? We apparently make air conditioners so that we can slice them open(all of this at the south pole).

Tripledoc · February 16, 2004, 20:34

Europe has 150 nuclear plants
America 103 nuclear plants

'Amusing' site on Nuclear power

mrmitchell · February 16, 2004, 20:39

consumptioni

cars, heaters, etc.

Europeans do it too. But they have more regulations on it AFAIK

There still is SOME industry left. Particularly that which ignores enough laws to continue making a profit.

We've exported a lot of automobiles, steel, clothing, that kind of thing, but we are by no means free of industry.

Even if we were, there's still contaminated sites of former industry

Dis · February 16, 2004, 20:40

because we consume everything made...

next question please.

Drogue · February 16, 2004, 20:51

Because the US uses far more oil.

You're cars are far more wasteful than ours, you drive more, you use more power, you're industry and power stations burn more oil and coal, use worse forms of coal (lauxite (sp?)), have far far fewer environmental controls, etc.

Using a car/oil in Europe is far more expensive, since we have high taxes for it. For instance a gallon of petrol costs about £3.60 ($6) in the UK.

Bottom line, the US contibutes more pollution than any other nation, in total and per person (IIRC). Your pollution affects us, yet while we reduce our pollution, in order to reduce the effect on the entire world, you don't. That is why you're blamed for it.

Whoha · February 16, 2004, 22:55

Quote:

Originally posted by Tripledoc
Europe has 150 nuclear plants
America 103 nuclear plants

'Amusing' site on Nuclear power

we have more total reactors when you factor in all the ships we have though

Dis · February 17, 2004, 01:04

yep

8 reactors on the USS Enterprise, 2 on each Nimitz class carrier (there may be 9 or 10 now)

1 on each ballistic missile and fast attack submarine. I'm not sure how many subs we currently have.

Urban Ranger · February 17, 2004, 03:31

Some people drive to the corner store.

What lazy bums.

Dis · February 17, 2004, 03:35

I never go to the corner store. cheaper to buy food items at the supermarket.

CharlesBHoff · February 17, 2004, 03:56

Gargo Dump are fairly new in man history. In the ancient and medival world it than metal plow broke drown it was either repair or the metal reused to make something also it took alot of effect to mine ore and refine then include backbreaking labor and time.

Tingkai · February 17, 2004, 04:33

The US manufacturing sector has grown by 12% since 1997. The US exported US$63 billion worth of manufactured goods in December 2003.

http://www.nemw.org/mfgfact.htm

The chart in the following link shows why the US needs to cut down its pollution.
http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~geo101vc/Lecture25/sld010.htm

Also, see http://www.oecdobserver.org/news/ful...ollution_alert!.html

David Floyd · February 17, 2004, 04:35

Quote:

Some people drive to the corner store.

"Other people" (me) drive to their mailbox and their dumpster

Akka · February 17, 2004, 05:08

Quote:

Originally posted by Lancer
Must be industry out there somewhere... Or is it consumption? Should we stop heating our houses? Don't europeans heat their houses? Drive cars?

Yes, we do.
And still we manage to consume half as much energy and produce about three times less pollution per inhabitant than US. That's perhaps the point.

Quote:

Why is the US picked on?

Because, despite being the most per-capita polluting country in the western world, each time someone ask to reduce pollution, US refuse by pretending it would hurt its economy, and that anyway there is no ecological problem, and that global warming and acid rains are just tree-lovers hoax, etc.

Tripledoc · February 17, 2004, 08:25

Quote:

Originally posted by Whoha

we have more total reactors when you factor in all the ships we have though

However they don't add to the civilian consumption.

France has 56 working nuclear plants, generating 76% of her electricity.
It is also the second least polluting industrialized nation after Switzerland, according to the OECD.

I think there is definately a very important correlation between low CO2 emissions and high dependence on Nuclear Power.

Hagbart · February 17, 2004, 09:41

Nuclear power is very green (as long as the nuclear plant doesn't meltdown).

Spiffor · February 17, 2004, 10:13

Quote:

Originally posted by Tripledoc
I think there is definately a very important correlation between low CO2 emissions and high dependence on Nuclear Power.

Indeed, and that's why I find it very funny that German Greens managed to shut down nuclear plants in Germany to replace them with gas or coal guzzlers

Urban Ranger · February 17, 2004, 11:43

The problem with nuclear reactors is the waste. That stuff is going to be hot for a very long time.

CharlesBHoff · February 17, 2004, 14:23

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
The problem with nuclear reactors is the waste. That stuff is going to be hot for a very long time.

Depenceing on the nautal of the fuel the half life can be from 250,000 years to 4 billion years year. It I have 100 ton of U-238, 4 billion year from now I will have 50 tons of U-238.

Dis · February 17, 2004, 14:47

edit: I was wrong. That has never happened before

I did not think the halflife was that long. But it is (700 billion years for U-235- the element used primarily (over 99% pure I believe) in navy nuclear reactors). Why then are they only designing the nuke waste dump in Nevada to only last 10,000 years?

perhaps we should not be using nuclear power- or at least fission. Excpet for military purposes.

There has to be a better way.

Lancer · February 17, 2004, 17:11

Regulating the auto indusrty would be a good thing then. Get the SUVs off the road and everyone into smaller cars, for starters. If regulations were put in place now, people would certainly nurse their gas guzzlers but in maybe 15 or 20 years most would be gone.

I have a Ford Windstar, but I bought it mostly to protect the wife in any accident w/ an SUV or truck. We really don't need anything that big... If everyone downsized it would be alot safer to drive a small car.

We need to get the rail system fixed too, and regulate away the 18 wheeler. That would cut polution.

Sava · February 17, 2004, 17:13

Quote:

Must be industry out there somewhere... Or is it consumption? Should we stop heating our houses? Don't europeans heat their houses? Drive cars?

energy production and consumption

Quote:

Regulating the auto indusrty would be a good thing then. Get the SUVs off the road and everyone into smaller cars, for starters. If regulations were put in place now, people would certainly nurse their gas guzzlers but in maybe 15 or 20 years most would be gone.

Quote:

We need to get the rail system fixed too, and regulate away the 18 wheeler. That would cut polution.

omg, who are you and what have you done with lancer?!?!?!

, btw

Defiant · February 17, 2004, 17:25

You know what, 10-20 more years down the road we all could be riding bicyles and wearing little funny hats and black pajamas and call each other comrade, this is a ridiculous agrument for a free society.

Spiffor · February 17, 2004, 17:30

Of course, the comparative usefulness of a SUV vis-a-vis an ordinary car is exactly the same as the comparative usefulness of a car vis-a-vis a bycicle

Europe sure is a horrible un-free society.

Defiant · February 17, 2004, 17:33

I can't even fit in one of your Eurocars, they are made for little people and NO you are not as free as America, your socialistic ideals are one step away from communism. I want my 4x4 Dodge Ram, I don't give a rip what you think I should drive, and I don't give a rip what you want to drive.

Spiffor · February 17, 2004, 17:35

YAY! WE ARE FREE TO GUZZLE GAS AND DESTROY THIS PLANET TO OUR HEART'S CONTENT! WHO ARE YOU COMMIES TO DARE OPPOSE THIS LIBERTY?

Dis · February 17, 2004, 17:41

did some of you think that maybe you're too big?

people should not be so fat.

Eurocars are not that hard to get into. Maybe you should take a trip over there.

The only reason I have a pickup is for the 4 X 4 capability, as some hikes I go on can only be reached by a high clearance vehicle and sometimes I need the 4 X 4. But if they could make a hybrid vehicle with high clearance adn 4 X 4 capability, I'd buy it in an instant.

You think I want to drive my gas guzzlign Dodge Ram? Not with gas prices at $2 a gallon.

Sava · February 17, 2004, 17:43

Quote:

Originally posted by Defiant
I can't even fit in one of your Eurocars, they are made for little people and NO you are not as free as America, your socialistic ideals are one step away from communism. I want my 4x4 Dodge Ram, I don't give a rip what you think I should drive, and I don't give a rip what you want to drive.

OMFG STUPID COMMIE LAWS INFRINGE ON MY FREEDOM TO MURDER OMFG STUPID COMMIES!

Nubclear · February 17, 2004, 17:44

DFEATH O COMMIES!!11!#$!!11

BUSH$4EVA!!!11