Although it is a minor correction, let me state that soot from inefficient gas
lighting and coal burning was a major source of pollution in the early 20th
century. In St. Louis, the Missouri Botanical Gardens bought a large piece of
property far from the city with the intention of moving their collection. The
particulate pollution in the city was so bad that most of the plants at the
garden were in poor shape or dead. Electric power replaced gas and coal
before the garden staff could move their collections. The air quickly became
clearer and the Missouri Botanical Gardens has remained in its original
location.
The introduction of new technology in itself does pose environmental
questions, but the problems often stem from political issues, not technical
issues. What would it take to build clean nuclear power plants? There are
good designs available, but there are political problems getting them built
and tested. Hydroelectric power looks good, but dam placement has political
implications in addition to the environmental implications.
As engineers, we can continue to work to make existing technology more
efficient and environmentally friendlier without raising the cost. It needs
to be done with an economy of incentives. The improvements must be
economically and politically acceptable to the masses.
Ted Eckert
oover...@lexmark.com wrote:
>A more basic question. Would Edison? slight bulb have ever illuminated
>the night if an environmental impact statement had predicted the
>electrical power infrastructure necessary to support it, and the
>resultant ?man-made global warming??
When measured against the emissions of the candles, oil lanterns,
torches,
fire places, camp fires, signal fires etc.
Probably.
The major pollution factor in the large cities in the early 1900s was
horse
exhaust.
With which exhaust would you rather deal horse exhaust or petrol fumes?
It is not the technology that is the problem, it is the abuse of it.
We could turn off at least 60 of the lights we use at night to little
effect
If we had effective mass transit the automobile exhaust could be greatly
reduced.
If we all lived closer to our jobs the same would be true.
If we didn't insist on an automobile that weighed as much as the Queen
Mary
and went from 0 - Mach 1.5 in 13 nanoseconds, there would be a lot less
also.
If we lived in houses that were sized properly . . ..
Until we make some hard choices about our comfort and preferences,
things
will continue to deteriorate.
New technologies will only transfer the pain to another venue and/or
time.
Oscar Overton
Product Safety
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