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03 Jan 01 - capitalism; green building software; Junkyard Wars; computers; leasing ** WASTE PREVENTION FORUM ** -- A project of the National Waste Prevention Coalition -------- Forum archive: http://www.reuses.com/nwpcarchive -------------------- The first two postings are in response to the recent postings about capitalism and consumerism. -------------------- From Sarah Grimm, BRING Recycling, Eugene, OR: I appreciated Alex Cuyler's response to the issues of consumption and capitalism. But the question is how do we get there, how to level the market for remanufactured materials? The concepts suggested by Paul Hawkin's "Natural Capitalism" (and others) are how we get there: Change our taxing system to tax natural resources and environmental harm (what we want less of) and STOP taxing labor (what we want more of). The result will be much more efficient use of materials and resources and many more jobs for all. E-mail: bring [ AT ] efn [ DOT ] org -------------------- From Yen Chin, City of Seattle, Seattle, WA: Karen May asks if waste reduction and Capitalism are compatible. Hmm. Can the ultimate pyramid game based on ever-expanding markets peacefully co-exist with an ethos that has respectful use of resources at its core? I assume Karen writes ironically rather than to really get an answer. Jerry Powell suggests that less holiday spending could indicate MORE waste generation, that a greater frequency of luxury goods purchases might mean a more benign effect on the environment. Hmm. Does this mean that under Capitalism only the economically privileged can afford to act in an environmentally conscientious manner? And Alex Cuyler envisions an economy that does double work to sustain the production of goods for the Capitalist market. Hmm. Does this mean that the singing fishes would cost twice as much to buy? This talk reminds me of the contortions that defenders of the phlogiston theory of combustion had to make in the face of Lavoisier's experiments. -- "One's first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything." - Georg Christoph Lichtenberg E-mail: Yen [ D O T ] Chin [ A T ] ci [ D O T ] seattle [ D O T ] wa [ D O T ] us -------------------- Excerpted from an item from the 1/2/01 Gallon Environmental Letter, published by the Canadian Institute for Business and the Environment, Montreal, Quebec: The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology has released BEES 2.0, an updated version of free software developed to help designers, builders and product manufacturers evaluate cost-effective green building products. Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability (BEES) 2.0 includes comparative environmental and economic performance data for generic building products used for framing, wall finishes, wall and roof sheathing, insulation, roof and floor coverings, slabs, basement wells, beams, columns, parking-lot paving, and driveways. BEES 2.0's environmental performance analysis considers all stages in a product's life, from raw material acquisition through disposal. The environmental impact analysis measures a product's impact on global warming, acidification, eutrophication, indoor air quality, resource depletion, solid waste and other areas. The economic performance analysis covers the initial investment, replacement, operation, maintenance and repair, and disposal. Environmental and economic performance scores are combined into an overall score. Future versions of BEES will evaluate brand-specific products, allowing for benchmarking against generic product performance. Download BEES 2.0 at no charge from this website: http://www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/bees.html Source: Article by Barbara C. Lippiatt, Architectural Record, October, 2000. -------------------- From Tom Watson, King County Solid Waste Division and National Waste Prevention Coalition, Seattle, WA: I'm curious about a new television show called Junkyard Wars, on the TLC cable network. It's another "reality" show. In this one, two teams compete to build machines out of stuff lying around a junkyard. Each team has three people. They might be asked to build a flying vehicle, or a giant lawn mower, or a submarine. They have 10 hours to build it. The show is based on a successful British series called Scrapheap Challenge. I haven't seen the shows, but I've looked at their websites (see below), and they look interesting. It seems like they might help promote the concepts of reuse and salvage, in a weird, entertaining way. Has anyone seen either the U.S. or U.K. version of this program? If so, feel free to send a review, and we can run it in the Forum. Thanks! Websites for Junkyard Wars: - http://www.junkyard-wars.com/about.htm - http://tlc.discovery.com/tlcpages/junkyard/tunein.html Website for Scrapheap Challenge (the British version): - http://www.channel4.com/nextstep/scrapheap2000/ -------------------- The links to the next two articles were first seen on Jim DiPeso's Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center information service. -------------------- Link to a 12/28/00 article by Anne B. McDonald about computer reuse and recycling, originally posted on the PCworld.com website: http://www.cnn.com/2000/TECH/computing/12/28/recycle.high.tech.trash.idg/index.html -------------------- Link to a 12/20/00 article by Claude Morgan on the Environmental News Network about how some manufacturers are now "leasing" their products to consumers rather than selling them outright: http://www.enn.com/enn-features-archive/2000/12/12202000/leaseoptions_40686.asp Note from Tom: This article is interesting, but I have a problem with the claim that disposable cameras are an example of lease options and are "a blessing for the environment." I'd be interested in hearing what other people think about this. - end -