We'll never be rid of them

[ladyapple27]

Once a bad idea becomes economically entrenched, it is virtually impossible to get rid of.

Example #1 : Biodiesel. The rainforest is being destroyed in Brazil to make room for more crops to be converted to biodiesel. It is a myth that biodesiel leaves no carbon footprint; when you factor in the carbon storage capabilities of the lost forest, biodesiel causes a net gain in carbon emissions.

Biodesiel also causes a rise in food prices. The soybeans used to make enough biodesiel to fill one SUV tank would feed a human being for an entire year. Land that will be needed for food production as the population increases is being used to grow materials for use in biodesiel.

Why don't we abandon this foolish idea? Because an industry has grown up around it and many farmers make more money because of it. As long as anyone profits, they'll lobby for more laws encouraging the use of biofuels. To Hell with Mother Earth and hungry human beings.
 

Example#2 : Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining. Mountaintops are razed and nearby valleys are filled in. The environmental damage will never be undone. Recently, residents of this state were polled about a proposal to ban the use of coal produced by mountaintop removal. Some people actually spoke out against this measure, citing that their electricity bills would be higher and , besides, other states would keep on using it, thus gaining an economic advantage. Naturally, Duke Power Company is against the ban and fanning the fears of higher power bills. The coal companies aren't about to stop as long as the profits roll in. 

Aren't there somethings that are beyond price? Lord only knows how much damage mountaintop removal does to the watershed in times when demand for clean water is increasing. Pity the poor flora and fauna displaced by this savage practice. It isn't good for us either; there's only so much room on Earth, and once we've destroyed every square inch of it, we'll be like the doomed plants and animals-we'll have no where to go.     

Comments

[yesididit.livejournal.com]

ive heard they can make ethanol out of different grasses, which dont drain all the nutrients out of the soil like corn, dont need to be replanted each year like corn, and dont require massive fertilization and pesticides like corn. but then the seed/pesticide/fertilizer companies wouldnt make money, so it isnt as popular as it should be.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=grass-makes-better-ethanol-than-corn

i've never heard of this mountaintop coal mining, thats atrocious!

[ladyapple27.livejournal.com]

You can look it up and the net. You will be shocked that our country allows it to happen. Sometimes this practice is highlighted on TV news journals. The videos are truly heartbreaking. It's hard for people to get new footage because the mining companies have guards and prevent anyone from getting near the land they're destroying.