Bishop Hill Green poison
The EU has exempted a number of "green" technologies from its hazardous chemicals regulations.
The solar industry was celebrating last week after the EU confirmed late on Friday that it would exempt solar panels from new chemicals regulations that had threatened to effectively ban certain thin-film solar technologies.
The revised directive on hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment, which was ratified into law last week, imposes a general ban on six hazardous substances, including cadmium, which is commonly used in cadmium telluride thin-film solar technologies.
So it appears that in the EU, at least, poisoning the environment is perfectly alright so long as you are an environmentalist. The end justifies the means.
(H/T Messenger)
Reader Comments (49)
we mknew that already by the way they have forced us to use mercury-filled lightbulbs!
As of February last year, there were 39 exemptions to the 2002 RoHS directive, of which 5 were for cadmium or compounds thereof, mostly for electronic applications.
Environmentalism does not respect the environment - as here, as with wind farms, biofuels. What is it good for? Making money perhaps.
I know that at one time organ pipes were deemed to pose a threat to the survival of the planet...is there an exemption for them now?
As diogenes points out, the "green" light bulbs contain mercury which will escape if broken.
And these Eejit think we are too stupid to run our own affairs.
BH
Shouldn't we have a thread about the Germans shutting down their nuke power plants. I am wondering just what they are going to use for power.
diogenes
I'm not sure about the organ pipes, which contained lead, but then so do church roofs, so maybe there's an Ecclesiastical get-out? My pet anomaly is the ban on mercury barometers, which are very expensive and never thrown away, while disposable light bulbs containing the same stuff are unaffected. As, indeed, are mercury amalgam fillings...
So do we get leaded solder back?
Oh and how does the eu intend to dispose of all these toxic panels at the end of their life? Will the manufacturers have to take them back? Will teh disposal costs be built into the new price of the panels?
The German's plan to use nuclear power from neighboring countries, for which they'll supply collaboratively minded government officials with a few BMWs, Mercedes, and assorted desirable products from German companies which grew rapidly in the twentieth century, sometimes at the expense of a reluctant workforce.
Please guys, if you don't know how to think about this, just wait a while. zebede will explain everything.
Don Pablo,
"I am wondering just what they are going to use for power."
France.
Re: Germans shutting nuke fission generators.
I am not alone I know in being exasperated with the BBC take on this = "it's because of Fukushima" - the physics of recruitment at the BBC is such that they really are recruiting folk so dense that they can bend light (after they've twisted and distorted everything else in sight)
I do seem to recall (it's an age thing) that the Germans are sparking up some nice lignite burning power stations.... ?
France exports power to the UK, and power to Germany, yes.
But it does not have unlimited surplus capacity - and as the UK suffers more from the growing penetration of offshore wind into its energy mix and Germany decommissions its nuclear fleet, the crunch will come.
And the lights will start to flicker more, then they will periodically go out.
And as Atomic Hairdryer pointed out, France (or EDF) will get very, very rich and UK/German electricity prices will get very, very high.
"Analysis: Germany, France fear nuclear power gap this summer"
"Demand for power rises in the summer when homes and businesses turn on cooling devices but with a big chunk of Germany's nuclear capacity out and a possible cut in French nuclear capacity due to a severe drought, things may get tight."
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/31/us-europe-power-summer-idUSTRE74U3EL20110531
"So while the likelihood of black-outs this summer are on people's minds, many traders believe this is very unlikely."
"I'd be surprised if you saw black-out problems because for governments they should never happen," one trader said."
So a bit of a wind up non-story?
Nuc off due to drought!
'All interventions achieved by the Greens, anywhere, have turned out to be harmful to the environment.'
Discuss.
'This is due to their being motivated by a mix of malevolence towards humanity, a marked ignorance of natural science, and a perverse enjoyment of scaring people, including themselves, with fatuous warnings of doom and disaster.'
Discuss.
'These Greens are no longer a joke, but a serious menace not just to the environment, but to the body politic and to our civil liberties.'
Discuss.
Whoops, sorry about that. Daydreaming about exam questions for a course on modern politics I guess.
We have 2 x 1GW connectors to France. Our grid is designed to handle a loss of 1.6GW without failing (Sizewell B plus another unit). It was assumed that loss of both interconnectors would be an incredible event, i.e. not going to happen. To my recollection, simultaneous loss of both interconnectors has already happened twice. If anyone thinks the French won't open both breakers whenever they want to, they are living in cloud cuckoo land. Ditto Germany. When push comes to shove the French will look after France and its neighbours won't get any nuclear electricity.
I'm not sure about organ pipes but I know that asbestos was considered to be a significant problem for old organs.
"So do we get leaded solder back?"
Never went, just changed the labels... I want to know when I'll be allowed to have a cup of tea and a biscuit at my "not a designated food preparation area" bench.
I wonder what will happen when there are problems in both France (unions perhaps?) and UK electricity supply industries. "British" Energy which runs Sizewell B is, of course, owned by EdeF and the cross-channel links can be used both ways. Dungeness B (again owned by EdeF) is also close to the link and could be used to supply France with little power loss.
@ schober
So do we get leaded solder back?
=================================
It hasn't gone away, check Farnell and the reels of solder at your local motor factors, but not Maplins.
It was banned for production electronics, especially consumer items. However there were all sorts of exemptions such as medical equipment, military equipment, road traffic equipment, repair. You can buy it still. Basically any application where it could be argued that a reliable joint sans eventual tin whiskers was necessary.
I'm not sure what happened about the mercury barometer business. I think that was down to the bone-headedness of the UK government in implementing the directive. Last I heard selling mercury filled barometers was banned but repairing them, including refilling with mercury was OK, so they could sell an empty barometer and then immediately accept it back for repair and fill it.
Don Pablo de la Sierra enquires (May 31, 2011 at 5:30 PM) Shouldn't we have a thread about the Germans shutting down their nuke power plants. I am wondering just what they are going to use for power.
//////////////////////////////////////////////
The Germans will inevitably have to buy thier power from the French (ie., the Germans will have to import nuclear power!!!!).
If the French are sensible, they will sell their nuclear power to the Germans in return for share holdings in Mercedes, BMW, Siemens, Bosch, BASF etc. After 10 to 15 years they could then have a majority shareholding in the large German industrials and in that fashion, the French could become the industrial powerhouse of the EU. Wouldn,t Charles de Gaule have a laugh at the silly old Germans. One way for the French to get their own back on the German invasion of WW2. Just a thought.
Just like particulate emissions from 'dirty' biomass boilers can be exempt from complying with the requirements of the Clean Air Act.
Re Philip Bratby
Didn't that already happen with French exports to Italy, hence Italy now planning to build some new reactors of it's own?
On the Germans shutting down their nuclear power stations -- there is more to this (IMHO), I tried to connect the dots here: http://thoughtsoftheguru.com/2011/05/germany-leading-europe-to-disaster-again/
This has implications way beyond Germany.
I think Phillip is absolutely right
French laugh at German nuke closing
We should be grateful to the EU. Suppose you were unlucky enough to be poisoned by cadmium. Wouldn't it cheer you up immensely to be told it was a "green" poison rather than just an ordinary poison?
Mobile radiation is very likely cancerous and it is not hard to see why: this is quite powerful electromagnetic radiation close to your brain when you make a call and basically everything
one says about nuclear radiation counts here as well, only it is much much worse.
We should start to slap a Sievert measure to a 1 minute mobile call..
I am very bemused to see the EU aparachnik will muzzle the SCIENCE for this one.
Lets see now how the germans revert back zu ja ze Bakeliten Telefon.
I think they will adapt , here as well, the 2 measures 2 weight approach to SCIENCE
ok ursula...whatever...
There is an other explanation for the Merkel decision to shut down nuclear plants and phase out coal plants as well. This explanation holds that she is positioning the Greens for a fall.
The idustries will work hard to maintain usable and relatively low cost electricity, without which there is no manufacturing. They will campaign against the greens, possible unemployment, possible move to China and quaranteed high cost of industrial production. Merkel is not an idiot but she is a politician.
i hope the jerries leave out killer cumcumbers as well, while they are at it ?
they'll sit in the dark with not even a cuuke to munch on, hahaha.
I got stiff cramps lately, actually,very exceptionally.
I am not sure if it was the cuke allthough I had some a few days ago.. I thought it was an insect bite actually..could that be?
George Steiner, that is probably the most optimistic spin I've seen on this issue. I just hope you're correct, but I understand that the greens have their filiments deep into German thinking.
the germans have a public service that votes majority green for the last 10years?
How can you , seriously, have an administration like that at a complete disconnect.
and they seem powerful enough to drag a lot of germans in, mainly from the succumbing leftist parties
that's why the greens win there: via undemocratic mongering from their public servants. long arms in ZDF ARD the library the skool programs etc etc all wetnosed dogooders with emphatic painful smiles..
Adolf Hitler was also emphatic with love love love. And a vegetarian on top.
that's why ALL public service assignments should come with expiry dates. Urgently.
Please guys, if you don't know how to think about this, just wait a while. zebede will explain everything.
May 31, 2011 at 6:28 PM | Shub
Bad boy Shub! Now go stand in the corner for feeding trolls!
"asbestos was considered to be a significant problem for old organs"
The least of my worries.. :-)
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/05/31/ooops-biodegradeable-products-release-methane-which-is-more-potent-than-co2-as-a-greenhouse-gas/
Tha answer must surely be to declare that methane from green cups is exempt.....
@ursula teh butch
Re radiation. Am I wrong in thinking that mobile phones work by relatively low energy radio waves (like sunshine only much much ,much lower energy (e=hv), while the nasty part of nuclear radiation is socking great heavy alpha particles moving very fast and destroying everything they go near?
Coz if I;m even roughly right, you are just getting frightened by the word 'radiation' without putting some qualifiers around it.
George Steiner @ Jun 1, 2011 at 12:29 AM
Humble student of the long game that I am, I see this. What's more, it neatly explains why the usually pragmatic and rather crafty Merkel appears to have gone insane:
A classic case of giving them enough rope.
I hope that you are correct in your analysis. With so much delusional behaviour at the top when it comes to energy policy, it's hard to be sure (which of course plays beautifully with Merkel's strategy, if she is indeed about the business of destroying the Greens).
@Latimer Alder,
"The International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organisation, has classified the radiation emitted by handsets as “possibly carcinogenic” although it did not find evidence of a clear link."
Possibly, maybe, could be, 'tis all explained in the Daily Telegraph.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8548725/Mobile-phones-possibly-carcinogenic-say-World-Health-Organisation-experts.html
Re Cosmic.
Check the small print. Mobile phones may be carcinogenic if eaten in large quantities.
As for the lead solder ban, that gave me no end of grief when it came in due to large amounts of telecomms kit ending up in short supply while it was being re-engineered. Then higher failure rates due to the new solder being less tolerant to heating and vibration.
latimer
hmmyeah you're wrong.
the speed of the particles does not matter too much ,and particle particle interaction is always based on photon interaction (e=hv), statistical mechanics teaches you hv speeds of all flavours in any distribution check out a bell curve in your spare time.
a living cell can be destroyed or disturbed by almost anything, but physics learns vulnerability kicks in when the bullets get the same size as the victim plus or minus 2 orders of magnitude.
so high energy small wavlengths normally sail through like all cosmic radiation.
microwaves sized waves ,the size of a living brain cell, will lose a lot of their energy on their way out from your left ear to your right ear (mobile waves are microwaves, and when you make a cell call, there is a LOT of power around your ears)
just the sight of heat pictures of a brain after a cell call are very revealing.
Is a bit like your brain has been in a kitchen microwave, which it HAS.
Now a chicken does come out different from a microwave so I wonder why we would think our brains do NOT after a million cell calls.
oh and using a cable ear plug only focuses the torch going into your brain. Very disadvisable.
A bluetooth is better as it radiates much lower power OUT of the phone.
the problem is what the phone sends OUT to talk to the tower.
What the phone receives is low power enough
so a bluetooth alleviates that to a good extent, as the bluetooth ear plug talks OUT to your handset, not a tower, talks just a few meters away so it is at least 100 times less power
even worse than dumbing people's brains down (which they are anyways due to watching the BBC and other public broadcasters) is the fact that the mobile phone radiation severely disturbs bees and likely other insects, hence plant life hence endangers our complete biotope.
Far more urgent than "atomkraftwerk" would be to roll out bluetooth, and technology that hushes DOWN cellulars in 90% of the coverage. We need cellular along highways and in industrial urban areas. Everywhere else cellulars should be switched down automatically.Inside offices they should switch mandatory to an air interface that routes the calls to landlines 10m away.
Most of the cells are frantically trying to find a tower while you're in the office: that means lots of polling attempts at quite high power actually. That's why your mobile depletes so quickly when you're in the underground, or put it in a locker in the health club.cell phones should be by law more often instructed to switch off.
While nuclear energy -largely safe- has been over regulated to death, cellphone industry has gotten a complete free ride for the dangers it present.
latimer
You can do an experiment yourselves: just have an hour long conversation with your boyfriend over your cellphone and observe how you feel afterwards.
aMASSIVE amount of money can be made decrying cellphone danger.
organisations, workgroups charities litigation lawyers etc etc far west bonanza
This is rape and nuclear power together times 10
Only a wetnosed (slighlty self interested) dogooder phoenix needs to arise on this.
Doesn't ursulathebutch sound like phinniethewoo? It's uncanny.
BBD
Who is phinniethewoo ??
I know who you are: You're the one that writes that "stupid greens are a menace to the world"
and litters around lame links a la BartVerheggen with the caution "read all this".
A half baked intellectual from under the wings of CallMeDave Cameron ?
UTB
Hi there!
Ursula
I know that the term "microwaves" makes them sound very small but, for a typical mobile signal, the wavelength is somewhere between 10 - 30cm, depending on the band in use. Somewhat bigger than a braincell.
buffy
that is true but the carier frequency is not the only wave around it is a band with lots of presence and effects in higher frequencies.
A kitchen microwave, also working at Ghz,like a mobile can heat a chicken of 30cm.
If it can heat a chicken of 30cm it can heat a brain of 30cm.
If bees get disturbed and evidence grows around it , it must mean it is parasitic waves of sub cm scale from mobiles that disturb them.
There is not enuf research : more institutes laboratories, an International UN working group , etc etc.
Urgently !!
(I need the dough)
"dumbing people's brains down (which they are anyways due to watching the BBC and other public broadcasters)"
Unlike those purveyors of intellectual discourse, the commercial broadcasters.. :-)
"There is not enuf research"
Enuf said.