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RE: [GreenYes] Cars
Soemwhat apropos of Mr. Turner's comments, I was wondering if someone knew
of a Listserv specifically dedicated to market-based approaches to
environmental problems.

Sam Warren
Research Analyst
KLD Research & Analytics, Inc.
530 Atlantic Avenue
Boston, MA 02210
v617.426.5270x226
f617.426.5299
www.kld.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Wayne Turner [mailto:wturner1@no.address]
Sent: Friday, February 07, 2003 9:15 PM
To: GRRN - GreenYes
Subject: Re: [GreenYes] Cars


In response to this from Sharon Gates:

 "My employer, the City of Long Beach, has a very
active rideshare program.  We have frequent "thank you" lunches for
rideshare participants and lots of prizes are raffled off with the number
of entries for each person based on the number of days you shared a ride.
The city also promotes, arranges, and provides vehicles for vanpools."

C. William responded:

"Is this what a city is supposed to be doing with my taxes?"

****************************

Yes, until private industry internalizes the costs associated with pollution
prevention.

At the risk of inciting a debate about the social responsibilities of
government versus private industry, I have to put in another two cents
worth.

The ridiculously low disposal fees that we pay in this country encourage
waste generation, the destruction of value and do not even closely represent
the true long-term costs of putting our garbage in the ground.  A $50 tip
fee at a landfill is equivalent to $0.025/lb for disposal.  Yes, the decimal
is in the right place!  Who can't afford to throw stuff  away (destroy
value) at that price?  This amounts to a huge subsidy for private industry
by providing a convenient and cheap way of creating additional demand.

Private industry in this country does not represent the ideal model for a
healthy free enterprise economic system.  In light of recent revelations
about some of our corporate icons, our model has fallen on hard times.  As a
public servant, I take pride in the fact that I am not in the solid waste
'business' but someone who serves the public at large by protecting the
environment and human health without personally profitting from it.

I, for one, appreciate and encourage the efforts of cities like Long Beach
that step up to the plate and and take their responsibility seriously to
serve the public by reducing air pollution from automobiles.  I live in a
city that has a carpool and vanpool program.  When private industry steps up
to the plate by assuming greater responsibility for the wastes (externalized
costs) it helps to generate, including air pollution, then maybe our
governments won't have to shoulder the costs of these programs.

Wayne








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