EPA...food for thought!

[RoadToad]

Why is the air breathable in Louisville (and plenty of other cities in America you name)? EPA
Why have our sewers only blown up ONCE? EPA
Why haven't we had many worse environmental disasters than Exxon Valdez and the Gulf oil spill? EPA

That's another list you could go and on with. Well, someone who looks at it objectively could.

[GeoFisher]

Why is the air breathable in Louisville (and plenty of other cities in America you name)? EPA
Why have our sewers only blown up ONCE? EPA
Why haven't we had many worse environmental disasters than Exxon Valdez and the Gulf oil spill? EPA

That's another list you could go and on with. Well, someone who looks at it objectively could.

Good response.......

BUT you're off the mark with regards to louisville air quality........I think Louisville will always have crappy air quality due to locality. Also, we no longer VET test our vehicles. What does quality look like versus when we did?

BTW........here is a neat PDF.

http://rivers.hanover.edu/doc/AirHistory2-10.pdf

Later,

Geo

[RoadToad]

Good response.......

Thanks!

I'd say locality's main influence on air quality has to do with pollens in the air, and allergies, not so much with things the EPA would regulate, and yes, those things aren't going to change. But I beg to differ, I am ON the mark, just look at Rubbertown. Louisville's air quality would be markedly worse were it not for the anti-pollution measures in place there, and those industries wouldn't be doing all that if they didn't have to.

Thanks for the interesting PDF. Yes, we were warned, in 1958!

[kygorski]

We got into an interesting group discusion once at a night class at Purdue, The prof stated that once an event occurs that is a problem, there are no simple solutions.What Geo says about nuclear power plants is right on, its a relativly safe power source, if handled properly, the problem, waste. What do we do with it?No simple answer. Refinerys, none built in years, he's right, why? Maybe transportation. We had 7 refinerys in east chicago indiana, now only one. Feed stock, oil comes from the gulf either by off shore or by super tanker, pipelines carry it inland.Pipelines need maintanence, that in most cases is costly. But I degress, remember acid rain? It started effecting pine forests and lakes in the north east, coal was the culprit, sulpher dioxide, rain, acid rain. So we almost cured that problem, BUT if we would have not done anything, we would have eliminated the pine bark beetle, that is destroying pine forests.

[Chubminnow]

Also, we no longer VET test our vehicles. What does quality look like versus when we did?

Not sure what the air quality is like now without VET testing verses then with VET testing.

I recycle just about everything I know of that can be recycled, I'm all for a cleaner environment, cutting waste, etc but I always felt like the VET Testing Program was a rip off, most especially with newer vehicles. I'm glad the VET Program no longer exists.

[GeoFisher]

Not sure what the air quality is like now without VET testing verses then with VET testing.

I recycle just about everything I know of that can be recycled, I'm all for a cleaner environment, cutting waste, etc but I always felt like the VET Testing Program was a rip off, most especially with newer vehicles. I'm glad the VET Program no longer exists.

Man, I AGREE that it was a ripoff..........I always had a vehicle that would PASS, and I've always maintained my vehicles. Never in 20 years did I fail one.

BUT then you have all these older vehicles that were "grandfathered in" or that simply would get waivers. AND the ones that didn't were generally owned by poorer folks who could NEVER fix them. TALK about a tax on the poor.

I remember when I was young and just starting out.......I had a muffler prob on my 75 mustang. I was living check to check in lexington, KY, made about 200/week and had NO extra money for the parts I needed. I ended up fixing my car myself using some couplers and pieces of pipe. Yea, I cut off the **** converter that he wanted 500 bucks to fix........in 1988.....Gotta LOVE the EPA.

Later,

Geo

[Tim_T]

remember acid rain? It started effecting pine forests and lakes in the north east, coal was the culprit, sulpher dioxide, rain, acid rain. So we almost cured that problem, BUT if we would have not done anything, we would have eliminated the pine bark beetle, that is destroying pine forests.

It affected a whole lot more than just pine forest and lakes and in a whole lot of other places than just the northeast. Check out certain areas of the Appalachian Trail. Go into the backcountry of the Great Smoky Mountains and take a look around.

[Tim_T]

Interesting article in current issue of Outdoor Life regarding oil drilling and the decline in the caribou population. Not sure if it is online, but it is an interesting read if you can find it.

[kygorski]

Big deal! who needs pine forests? or caribou? Just somemore of that liberal " sky is falling hokum"Just what is envirement anyway?