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Over the past several months a frequent contributor to the opinion page has been extolling the benefits of society’s dependence on hydrocarbons. The author’s most recent contribution expressed a concern regarding the loss of plastic containers for medications should society stop extracting hydrocarbons and fossil fuels.
As a materials engineer, and as someone who has worked in the utility and power generation industries for more than 40 years, I have witnessed technical innovation in response to the need to replace various products when these products were found to have detrimental health effects. Specific examples include the elimination of asbestos, prohibitions on the use of chromate corrosion inhibitors (the contaminate highlighted in the 2000 film “Erin Brockovich”), and the replacement of PCB transformer oils.
Each of these products were very effective, offered numerous beneficial attributes, and the development of alternatives required capital investment and technical innovation. Asbestos in particular was (and to some extent still is) pervasive in modern society. However, over time society no longer needs to use asbestos, saving the lives of many who otherwise would have died from asbestosis or mesothelioma.
A common argument for the continued use of existing, hazardous products is the cost of replacement. However, the price of hazardous products seldom capture all the costs of adverse health effects and the safe disposal of waste products. In effect society is subsidizing the manufacture and use of these products, leaving the costs associated with the many adverse effects to the future.
The burning of hydrocarbons produces CO2, which is also a human waste product. CO2 helps trap heat in the atmosphere that would otherwise radiate out into space. We can discuss what part human activity has contributed to global temperature increases, but these are facts.
The consumption of hydrocarbons and coal has contributed immensely to our society; however, there have been deferred costs associated with their use. The longer we continue to defer these costs the harder it will be to pay. Humans are ingenious, and I am confident in our ability to solve most technological problems; however, in a capitalistic society, the driver for technological development is economics. If we do not recognize the total cost associated with the use of hydrocarbons and coal, capitalism cannot work. It will always be cheaper to dispose of your trash in your yard but someday it will affect the sale price of your property.
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