Rich

I noticed a couple radicals freaked out when I suggested we leave
the solutions to pollution problems to future generations.
On the surface (without any critical thought) it figures the cretins
would go nuts when they read it. But if you actually THINK about it,
it makes perfect sense.
In 1966 or so, some of the first pollution devices came into being on
cars. CO2 filters. But, it wasn't until 1976 that catalytic
converters came into being. It wasn't until then that time that any
real progress was made on auto emissions. The converter made it
possible to extract about 90% of the "harmful" gasses from car
exhausts. Until that time, all other measures (EGR, CO2 cannisters,
etc) made little difference.
The same is true now of pollution we can't yet control. Whatever
half-assed measure we come up with will only have a modest control
effect. However, implementing strict controls will have a devastating
effect on our economic systems. Because they aren't cures, like the
catalytic converter was, but axe-like cuts, that make little headway
in controlling emissions but do serious damage to the economy.
In turn, this damage reduces drastically the amount of money available
for development of real pollution controls so in the long run, wasting
time, money and effort on modest controls may prevent us from finding
REAL controls. Science is not cheap, and R&D gets cut when people and
businesses suffer financially.
So, lets stop pretending 15% cuts over 10 years will "save" the
environment, (especially since the rapidly industrializiing Third
World is doing F--- all to help) stop implementing WORTHLESS attempts
at pollution control that will only hurt us in the long run but KEEP
spending on the science needed to produce TRUE controls at a future
date.
-Rich