Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Clean-up Just Stirs Up

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The green-forced “clean-up” by General Electric of PCBs in Hudson River sediments has — to no one’s surprise — backfired.  Read more here.

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  1. Not all environmental causes are sucker-proof. If one wants to fill up the inner void, by making the world a better place to live, then one should do one’s bloody homework first. And that includes becoming scientifically literate. If one is not willing to take that first step, then one should get a life, and forget about saving the world!

  3. Ed wrote:
    “Actually, this was expected and prepared for.”

    So what? Neither you nor GE have answered the big question: Why?

    Yes, I know, PCBs are ba-a-ad. And they’ll also be ba-a-ad at the Texas landfill. And they would also be ba-a-ad on the dark side of the Moon. If we could wave a magic wand, and make all of the PCBs in the Hudson R vanish instantly, it would be worthwhile to do so. However in the real world, clean-ups cost real dollars.

    Now I’ll put the monkey on your back. Put dollar values on the following:
    •the damage that the undisturbed PCBs in the Hudson R sediments WERE doing
    •the damage that the temporarily elevated PCB levels in the river ARE doing
    •the damage that the evil PCBs WILL DO in the Texas landfill
    Now get out your pocket calculator. Do those dollar figures justify the dollar cost of the operation?

    Yes, I know that we’re in the middle of the Bush Recession, and that it’s appropriate for the government to use tax dollars to stimulate the economy. But even in such cases, scarce taxpayer dollars are best spent on worthwhile projects–like increasing the insulation in old government buildings for greater energy efficiency.

    OK Ed, you’re the one who’s making the sweeping claim. Prove that the dredging project is NOT a bloody boondoggle.

    Uh-huh, I thought so. Chest-thumping is more fun than getting one’s mind dirty, and doing some hard thinking for a change. Before you crawl back under your rock, be sure to check the PCB levels there.

  4. OK Ed, you’re the one who’s making the sweeping claim. Prove that the dredging project is NOT a bloody boondoggle.

    What did the cost-benefit study say?

    You didn’t bother to looki?

    Uh-huh, I thought so. Chest bumping driven by ignorance is much more fun that bothering to check out the facts. Before you crawl back under your rock, remember that if there are PCBs there, you’re doomed. Living under rocks probably isn’t a good idea.

    You’ve never heard of the Hudson River before this incident, I’ll wager.

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