Quote:
Originally Posted by milomilo
We don't have data, but I think it's a fair assumption that building a house out of something that was made by sucking CO2 out of the atmosphere (yes plus some heating) vs something that requires melting down thousands of bottles, the former probably is the less carbon intensive. If the latter was energy efficient it would be cost effective to do so and businesses would be widely doing it. The fact they are not indicates it probably isn't worth doing.
|
My impression is that this is the first building project of this kind. You may see businesses using this method in the future, if it turns out to be a viable method.
One concern I did have when I read the article is how it would perform in a fire. I would not want to be in a burning building that was melting all around me. So, lots of unknowns (including CO2 data) with this one.
Quote:
OK, my statement might have been a little too strong, but while it seems counterintuitive, but there is plenty of research saying that banning disposable plastic bags will result in greater harm to the environment.
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47027792
Reusable plastic bags use a lot of plastic and need a lot of energy to make, they need to be used many times to be worth it. Cotton bags are far worse, needing much more energy and intensive farming to make. Paper bags too require much more energy.
Similarly, the efforts to ban straws may end up with Starbucks etc making plastic lids that use more plastic. How is that better?
|
You and I actually agree on this point. A few weeks ago I posted about the plastics ban topic with similar information that you have linked to above. Here is a link to the post:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...&postcount=217
Read the Quebec study when you have a few minutes. It is quite interesting. It's obvious that the federal government did not read it.
Quote:
|
I agree, but specifically, what are the actual problems? People's obsession with reducing plastic has little basis in what the real issues are. The one large issue specific to plastic is plastic in the oceans, but the proposed solutions do almost nothing to combat that.
|
Agreed.
Very little of Canada's single-use plastics end up in the oceans.
If you read my previous post I linked to above, you will note that Sobey's stores have actually switched to a bag that uses less plastic and is recycled in the maritimes.
Quote:
|
I know I am sounding like I love landfills, but that isn't the case. I dutifully clean and recycle what I can (even though it probably ends up in a trailer for years before being quietly landfilled). I'm a big fan of Calgary's composting program, which is an excellent way of reducing waste. If places are running out of landfill space, absolutely look at ways of minimising what goes into it. But that isn't really an environmental problem, more of an economic one (as all things are, actually).
|
Actually, Halifax has had a composting program for over 20 years, due to the issue of running out of landfill space.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-...ater-1.5195777
Quote:
|
Bio-based doesn't necessarily mean it is biodegradable. You could make plastics with similar durability to oil based ones, but then they won't be biodegradable. Or you could make biodegradable ones, but they won't be as strong. And there is no guarantee that a plant based plastic won't emit CO2 in its production.
|
The key point to me was that these bags don't use petroleum as their base. While that may cause dismay to our Albertan members, it
could result in less C02 emissions. I say could because I don't have data on it - I only mentioned it as an example that there are other alternatives that should be examined instead of a simple ban, which will have other negative effects and possibly few positive effects.
Quote:
|
The problems with plastics are also their greatest strengths. Plastics are cheap, strong, lightweight and durable, which is why they are used so extensively. An alternative with the same strengths will likely have the same problems, or a tradeoff could be made if we choose to prioritise biodegradability over GHG emissions and other environmental impacts.
|
Which is why I believe that, rather than a simple ban, we need to understand how to use the product better. Reduce in cases where better alternatives are available, and continue to research for better methods of dealing with the problem.
Additionally, there should be a global effort to find methods of preventing plastics from entering the oceans. There are countries that are known to be extreme contributors to the problem - action needs to happen now to reduce and eventually eliminate that from happening. Canada is already known to be a very small contributor to this problem, but we could have knowledge that could help these other countries to do reduce theirs.
Quote:
|
I agree. Neither 'side' is doing a good job, though there shouldn't be sides.
|
I think the fact that there are 'sides' is the biggest problem. It switches the focus from finding the best solutions for the problems to one of partisanship.
Prev
Linear Mode
