New York state is ignoring massive methane and carbon dioxide emissions from municipal solid waste landfills. Methane is 21 times as potent a greenhouse gas as carbon dioxide. Our governor's environmental secretary has long opposed waste-to-energy as an obstacle to zero wastes, which is an impossible goal. One of the most hypocritical environmental/energy policies of our state is the policy of not recognizing municipal solid waste a renewable biofuel and discouraging waste-to-energy. On March 4, a bipartisan group of 15 U.S. senators urged that waste-to-energy be included in any renewable portfolio standard considered by the Senate. Several states, European countries and Japan recognize wasteto-energy as an important renewable energy source. Waste-to-energy has only about 5 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions of landfills, and is a valuable means of reducing our dependence on foreign fuels. It is foolish to put our energy-containing wastes in the ground, or hope that all our wastes will be recycled. Only about 20 percent of plastics can be effectively recycled. Our senators' new, positive energy policy, recognizing waste-to-energy as renewable energy, has many benefits. We must redefine municipal solid waste as renewable. We must make our energy and environmental choices solely on the basis of good science and technology, not ideology — and pursue a rational policy of zero wastes to landfills as Europe has done.
JACK D. LAUBER Latham The writer is a licensed professional engineer.
This guy is right, but he uses too much common sense to get his ideas through. There needs to be a political angle. Like burning the wastes to make energy is better for minorities or something. We all need to work long and hard to come up with that. He is starting to go on the right track though. People won't demand this sort of thing until their National Grid bills average 1k per month.
This guy is right, but he uses too much common sense to get his ideas through. There needs to be a political angle. Like burning the wastes to make energy is better for minorities or something. We all need to work long and hard to come up with that. He is starting to go on the right track though. People won't demand this sort of thing until their National Grid bills average 1k per month.
Wait, are you saying everyone else's bill ISN'T nearly $1k? WTF.
Vivat Jesus Knights of Columbus, Fourth Degree In Him, all things are possible
Re the Aug. 28 letter from Bonnie Lichak of Nassau: Thank you, Bonnie, for your letter. We could not have said it better ourselves. We have been saying the same thing since March, 2008. We live in Perth in Fulton County. We had the smell of wood smoke in our yard and home last winter as a result of living downwind from a neighbor with an outdoor wood boiler (OWB). We even know a family that has to sleep in their basement to avoid breathing its neighbors’ smoke. The smell is disgusting and sickening. Being a two-time cancer survivor, my husband and I know the damage that is being done by allowing people to use OWBs. Yes, "smoke gets in your lungs." We want to see OWBs totally banned. Nobody seems to be in charge of this issue. Our votes are wanted at election time. Where are the people we vote for, and why are they not doing their jobs? Where is Gov. Paterson now? Winter will be fast approaching. Health-care costs keep rising — doesn't anybody see the picture, or is the smoke too thick? Too much time has elapsed regarding this issue. Ban OWBs now, Gov. Paterson. Everyone has the right to breathe clean air!
I'm all for OWB, but I do have a couple of friends that live near people who have them. They said that the stacks are too short and the smoke blows right at their homes. And that the people with OWB throw any kind of wood and 'stuff' in it. This is hearing it 3rd hand, so I don't know the specifics.
My only question is.....how long have these OWB been in existence and why is it NOW that they are having concerns? Is it the existing ones or is it the added newly erected ones?
CAPITAL REGION State widens ban on burning BY EDWARD MUNGER JR. Gazette Reporter
Farmers and residents in rural areas face additional restrictions on open burning today as new state regulations go into effect. The state Department of Environmental Conservation strengthened the rule, which already bans open burning in municipalities with more than 20,000 residents. The new regulation prohibits burning trash and rubbish statewide now, with some exceptions, and imposes fines ranging from $375 up to $15,000 for a first offense, DEC spokeswoman Lori Severino said. “The overall objective of it is to help prevent pollution and encourage better air quality,” Severino said. The rule is expected to lessen the amount of toxins sent into the air by burn barrels, which are more common in rural areas than in urban communities. “We believe that people who have lung disease in smaller communities should be afforded the same rights to be able to breathe healthier air,” said Michael Seilback, vice president of public policy and communications at the American Lung Association in New York. “We often think of rural communities as the places where you’re going to have cleaner, fresher air. But unfortunately, due to open burning, that’s not always the case,” Seilback said. Burning materials like foam, other plastics and colored paper releases heavy metals into the air and ground, and the ash that remains after burning residential waste is known to contain lead, nickel and chromium. ......................>>>>..................................>>>>...................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00901&AppName=1
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