Memo to the President-elect: Environmental responsibility and economic revitalization go hand-in-hand

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CleanTech and Economic Incentives: Given what we now know about how modern electronic
manufacturing and scavenging works (see the new 60
Minutes report tracking "E-Waste" from Denver got
China), and how our current environmental regulations
are set up on manufacturing processes, I doubt
industrial scale production of photovoltaics (with the
attendant heavy metals waste) is going to be seen as
"green" for very long. Or, at least, it won't be seen
as "green" if it happens here. There's a reason why
nobody in the US makes Lithium Ion batteries in
industrial quantities. The manufacturing process
involves a lot of steps where you're going to have to
ensure compliance, and by the time you do so, you
can't sell them for a price the market will tolerate.

It's perfectly fine and green to take any industry
that doesn't meet the ideological purity standard and
tell them to clean up or shut down - all that means is
that the job moves to China.

Where it has even worse emission controls than it had
here.

Where we spend more energy getting the items to market
than if they'd been made here.

Where Quality Control is taken as something to only do
when someone is watching you.

And where, hey, it can be done for sweatshop labor.

Current OMB estimates on the cost of manufacturing
compliance to environmental regulations are roughly 7
to 10%. That is, each item costs 7-10% more to make
in the US solely from matching environmental
regulations.

I propose we set up a green tariff of about that
amount - you want the tariff to not apply to your
goods, demonstrate that your environmental regulations
match ours.

I would love to buy components for things I make in
the US; we've driven the manufacturing base out of the
country over the last 30 years.

Obama's cap-and-trade strategy looks like a disaster
waiting to happen. Look at how well it (hasn't)
worked for Europe in meeting its targets.

For another CleanTech debacle, take a look at the
Netherland's conversion of 3/4 of their electrical
generation to palm oil, which is renewable - and
caused more carbon emissions in Indonesia, where
people clearcut rain forest to make palm oil
plantations, and in the end, after transport,
multiplied the carbon footprint by about 150%, and
conveniently moved it into "someone else's back yard".; Posted by: Ad Astra Posted on: 11/08/08 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use