GDP growth for the second quarter was +4.1%, second highest in 15 years

[spence]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Dunno - persoanlly I think it should bre recycled and ground here and then reused.

How much of the world's mismanaged plastic originated from China?

But going with your premise - how far do you want to go back with the plastic? To the middle East as oil / petroleum products? Dinosaurs? This is a good point - let's ban Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Flora and Fauna For Little Sally's straw ; )

It's a complex systems problem.

China has imported about 45% of the world’s plastic waste since 1992 for recycling, the study found.

In the U.S. alone, nearly 4,000 shipping containers full of plastic recyclables a day had been shipped to Chinese recycling plants.

An estimated 111 million metric tons of plastic waste will be displaced by 2030 as a result of China’s recent ban on the import of most plastic waste, according to new research.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ing/721879002/

Sounds like we've been "responsibly" exporting plastic to China for cheap disposal and what we get for our money is poor management which has a global impact.

Yes, banning straws isn't going to fix the problem but this is like the climate deniers who scoff at every mention to kill the debate ignoring that we still have a big issue to address.

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by spence

It's a complex systems problem.



Sounds like we've been "responsibly" exporting plastic to China for cheap disposal and what we get for our money is poor management which has a global impact.

Yes, banning straws isn't going to fix the problem but this is like the climate deniers who scoff at every mention to kill the debate ignoring that we still have a big issue to address.

We have existing laws that will reduce existing plastic polution. Having the PD pull over Billy Schmucaktelli and give him a fine when he tosses a Big Mack Combo out the window might be a good start.

Hopefully the judge does not dismiss it for cruel and unusual punishment like they do in so many instances.

Between the lack of enforcement and the lack of judicial sentencing there is little deterrence to the litterbug.

I'm pretty confident you do not litter, I know I don't and I'm pretty sure most (all?) people here don't.

[wdmso]

remember the Light bulb outrage

2010 Right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh cited promotion of eco-friendly light bulbs No Republican complicit in nannyism, statism, can be rewarded .”


Incandescent bulbs subject to strict efficiency standards

The effect will be to make current 100-watt bulbs obsolete — and that has sent conservative lawmakers, libertarians, some environmental activists and owners of Easy-Bake Ovens into a frenzy of activity to get the law repealed or, at least, to stockpile the bulbs before they disappear from store shelves.

Now the right and others are outrage about going back to paper Straws.... its bringing something back from the 50's you think they would be excited seeing they love Nostalgic policys

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by wdmso

remember the Light bulb outrage

2010 Right-wing talk show host Rush Limbaugh cited promotion of eco-friendly light bulbs No Republican complicit in nannyism, statism, can be rewarded .”


Incandescent bulbs subject to strict efficiency standards

The effect will be to make current 100-watt bulbs obsolete — and that has sent conservative lawmakers, libertarians, some environmental activists and owners of Easy-Bake Ovens into a frenzy of activity to get the law repealed or, at least, to stockpile the bulbs before they disappear from store shelves.

Now the right and others are outrage about going back to paper Straws.... its bringing something back from the 50's you think they would be excited seeing they love Nostalgic policys

Go try to drink a Strawberry Fribble through a Paper Straw.

We'll wait ; )

(side note; Haven't had one in 30 years but dang it sounds good, no? )

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Go try to drink a Strawberry Fribble through a Paper Straw.

We'll wait ; )

(side note; Haven't had one in 30 years but dang it sounds good, no? )

Don't know what a strawberry Fribble is, but bet it has to melt a little before it works in a plastic straw. Something tells me drinking it out of a lid similar to a hot coffee lidvwill work just fine. Or buy stock in wheat straw, then you can make money at a lower tax rate than your regular job and you will help the farmers hammered by Tweety's tariffs who aren't covered by his pre-election bribes, I mean handouts, no subsidies it is . More manly to drink out of a real straw straw anyway.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[spence]

Originally Posted by JohnR

We have existing laws that will reduce existing plastic polution. Having the PD pull over Billy Schmucaktelli and give him a fine when he tosses a Big Mack Combo out the window might be a good start.

Not sure that's the point. It's the volume of plastics that are put into the system in general that's leading to the ocean volumes regardless of the entry point via trash, recycling mishandling, tsunami, fishing nets etc...

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by spence

Not sure that's the point. It's the volume of plastics that are put into the system in general that's leading to the ocean volumes regardless of the entry point via trash, recycling mishandling, tsunami, fishing nets etc...

I think there is a great misunderstanding about the waste cycle. Into the trash often times doesn't equate to into the landfill for eternity. Anyway, if people in Seattle don't like it, they will vote out the council or bring their own straws. They won't need the government to wipe anything for them.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[wdmso]

let bring this back a bit


Despite Strong Economy, Federal Deficit Soars


Corporate tax receipts are down for the year, while government spending is up. Even with a fast-growing economy, the Treasury Department expects to borrow more than $750 billion to pay its bills during the last six months of this year.

"The federal budget deficit is ballooning, skyrocketing, soaring, whichever way you want to describe it,"

"Let me be 100 percent clear about one thing: The tax cuts are never going to pay for themselves," said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. "They can grow the economy, but not enough to come anywhere close to offsetting the cost of them."

"Last time we had a recession, our debt was half the level it is today, relative to the economy,"


And all this is Good How ??? Trump has trump has scammed America His base see him as infallible believe him over facts ..

Its not Trump deranged syndrome thats the issue in America .. the issues is with his Base its called the stockholm syndrome..

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by zimmy

I think there is a great misunderstanding about the waste cycle. Into the trash often times doesn't equate to into the landfill for eternity. Anyway, if people in Seattle don't like it, they will vote out the council or bring their own straws. They won't need the government to wipe anything for them.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Improve the recycling

Originally Posted by wdmso

let bring this back a bit


Despite Strong Economy, Federal Deficit Soars


Corporate tax receipts are down for the year, while government spending is up. Even with a fast-growing economy, the Treasury Department expects to borrow more than $750 billion to pay its bills during the last six months of this year.

WTH were you the last dozen years?

[scottw]

Originally Posted by JohnR

WTH were you the last dozen years?

yeah...didn't they call it "new normal" back then?

[zimmy]

Originally Posted by JohnR

Improve the recycling

You willing to fund that with your tax dollars? It isn't in the interest of the recycling companies to do that. They recycle for profit. They have no incentive to upgrade all the machinery even if the technology existed The market in China for recycled material has dried up as it is. I understand people view this as solely a personal freedom issue, but when the stuff someone uses becomes an external problem, personal freedom has limits. The impact of plastic on wildlife, and fisheries in particular, is dramatic and the cost to purchase a straw or plastic bag doesn't come close to the economic impact associated with them as waste.

How about this? Tax the straws at a rate that will allow the recycling companies to upgrade the machinery to collect the straws for recycling. Probably end up being a few cents per straw given the 500 million a day that are used in USA. All the tax goes to fund upgrades. Temporary tax of a year or two, whatever is needed. Pretty sure a bunch of people that are upset about local ordinances banning straws would be equally upset about a tax to deal with the problem.