The Cost of Envirowar

Respect for our planet is expressed in many forms. In the Northwest, recycling municipal and industrial waste reduces landfill tipping. Recycling useable materials saves not just by reducing landfill size but also reduces the energy required to process "virgin" materials. That saved energy also reduces emissions that inevitably accompany material processing. Recovering inert materials is a step in the right direction, while tipping organics is where the real pollution is. Organics decompose and that releases gases that can contribute to climate fluxuations.

Tokyo has some of the world's most stringent emissions regulations. On a visit there, I wondered why almost all of the cars were late models. In fact In over 200 visits over 15 year's time, I don't remember seeing an older or dented car. Fact is that Tokyo's emissions standards are so stringent that owning an aging and polluting car is so expensive that it's much more cost effective to buy new. Japan's banks support that strategy by providing low interest loans for new car purchases as opposed to much higher cost for used cars.

Environmental common sense promotes give and take relationships between mankind, animals and plants, and our planet's ecosystems. It makes me wonder how far this country has moved while for decades human haters were writing regulations and laws that seemed intended to erase man's footprint from earth. Wouldn't a more moderate effort at shaping energy policies that include energy experts as well as energy haters achieve real improvements in our environment? So let's support those who seek to improve our relationship with nature rather than those who seek to destroy it.