Pollution......we’re all going to die.

#103
#103
Grand Vol said:
I know Vinyl gets used as siding. Why can't other plastics get used as other building materials? I.E. #6 into insulation? PET into structural components out of the sunlight? Etc.
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termite proof, water proof are big pluses.

Flammable and combustible are probably big minuses.
 
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#107
#107
Grand Vol said:
Wood isn't?

There has to be a trade off there.
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Wood is, yes. Plastics contain petroleum which would be more flammable. Maybe not, though. If building materials could be engineered from plastics, surely they could put flame retardants in the materials.
 
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#108
#108
McDad said:
Wood is, yes. Plastics contain petroleum which would be more flammable. Maybe not, though. If building materials could be engineered from plastics, surely they could put flame retardants in the materials.
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Could be price as well. I'm not sure how much it costs to make insulation versus repurposing/recycling plastics for that purpose.
 
#110
#110
Grand Vol said:
Could be price as well. I'm not sure how much it costs to make insulation versus repurposing/recycling plastics for that purpose.
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It probably costs a lot more than I imagine. Seems like it would be a no brainer since the starting material is free. But the reconfiguring in manufacturing probably costs a lot.
 
#112
#112
hog88 said:
This thread is a good example of why we as a species can’t solve our problems.
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Just because your pyromaniac side is showing out doesn't mean burning everything is a good idea.

worldburn-top.jpg
 
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#113
#113
hog88 said:
@RavinDave can get into the science of scrubbers with you but we have the technology. Besides wouldn't it be nice to replace as much coal energy production as possible with burning trash?
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Municipal waste incinerators are a good way to convert burnable trash into energy and keep it out of landfills and there were a good number of them built in the US, more than a dozen. I used to have a list of them when I was involved in catalysts for NOx abatement 20 years ago. But they seem to have fallen out of favor; not only is NOx abatement needed but dioxin as well. Of course no other fuel is near as dirty as coal. I always get a kick out of hearing Trump say “clean coal”. There is no such thing. It is possible to produce clean methane or syngas (mixture of CO and H2 that can be used as fuel or as a feedstock for producing ammonia or methanol) from coal but it’s a helluva process with a heavy carbon footprint. First trip I made for BASF was to North Dakota in January 1988 to help with a catalyst changeout at the Great Plains Coal Gasification plant. Never saw cars with block heaters before that!
 
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#114
#114
Grand Vol said:
You're the one that brought Trump into a neutral discussion where it isn't needed.

Pretty weak effort on your part.
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Its in the politics forum, its never neutral.

And Trump has adopted or endorsed numerous rule changes that will increase pollution. He has made absurd statements denying the existence of the issue. Most recently he made the astoundingly ignorant statement that we have the "cleanest air" and the "cleanest water."


During a visit to Ireland on 5 June 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump was confronted by a reporter with remarks made by Irish President Michael D. Higgins, who had said Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement was “regressive and pernicious.”

In response, Trump made a series of claims about the state of the environment in the United States under his presidency: “Well I haven’t heard those comments, but we have the cleanest air in the world, in the United States, and it’s gotten better since I’m [sic] president. We have the cleanest water, it’s crystal clean, and I always say ‘I want crystal clean water and air.’ So, I haven’t heard his [Higgins’] comments, but we do have — we’re setting records, environmentally.”
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When Trump continues down this road of lying and denying even the existence of these problems, you are damn skippy I'm going to point it out here, even when it has not yet been discussed. The more people that realize what a moron Trump is, the better.
 
#115
#115
lawgator1 said:
Its in the politics forum, its never neutral.

And Trump has adopted or endorsed numerous rule changes that will increase pollution. He has made absurd statements denying the existence of the issue. Most recently he made the astoundingly ignorant statement that we have the "cleanest air" and the "cleanest water."

When Trump continues down this road of lying and denying even the existence of these problems, you are damn skippy I'm going to point it out here, even when it has not yet been discussed. The more people that realize what a moron Trump is, the better.
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Does this problem transcend Trump? Did the Great Garbage Patch suddenly spring into existence when he was elected? Is he responsible for China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia and a slew of others dumping garbage into the rivers and oceans?

The answer is simple. This is a problem that goes way beyond one sitting President. However, you want to try to make it about Trump, failing miserably, but trying nonetheless. Now, you can either get into the conversation of how the world might help in solving its refuse problem or continue making yourself the fool by invoking Trump every turn.
 
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#116
#116
RavinDave said:
Of course no other fuel is near as dirty as coal. I always get a kick out of hearing Trump say “clean coal”. There is no such thing.
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my dad was an engineer for TVA working with those plants and said the same thing. Until then I believed it was truly possible and can see why so many still do
 
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#117
#117
lawgator1 said:
Its in the politics forum, its never neutral.

And Trump has adopted or endorsed numerous rule changes that will increase pollution. He has made absurd statements denying the existence of the issue. Most recently he made the astoundingly ignorant statement that we have the "cleanest air" and the "cleanest water."





When Trump continues down this road of lying and denying even the existence of these problems, you are damn skippy I'm going to point it out here, even when it has not yet been discussed. The more people that realize what a moron Trump is, the better.
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Stay in your lane councilor, almost every damn Enviromental regulation increases pollution on one end or the other while minimally decreasing the intended pollutants.
 
#118
#118
McDad said:
It probably costs a lot more than I imagine. Seems like it would be a no brainer since the starting material is free. But the reconfiguring in manufacturing probably costs a lot.
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Cost is big. They also dont "work" like wood, which turns off a lot of contractors.

EcoStud is an example. Right now I dont think you are allowed to use recycled or even reclaimed products as structural elements. I know it gets by in some places, but its something you have to work with the local ahj on it.

The problem with most recycled stuff is it just isnt as strong as the base. And the more it gets used the weaker plastic gets, you cant indefinitely recycle plastic as I understand it.

One thing that does it get by and is pretty easy to use is concrete. Codes allow a certain amount of "adds" before they pay attention and then afterwards you just need someone to sign off on it and maybe some basic testing. Plastic can be used as part of that add. It makes it weaker but usually its strong enough not to matter. Also concrete removes the flammability concern. If bound with wood fire is a major concern.
 
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#122
#122
LouderVol said:
Cost is big. They also dont "work" like wood, which turns off a lot of contractors.

EcoStud is an example. Right now I dont think you are allowed to use recycled or even reclaimed products as structural elements. I know it gets by in some places, but its something you have to work with the local ahj on it.

The problem with most recycled stuff is it just isnt as strong as the base. And the more it gets used the weaker plastic gets, you cant indefinitely recycle plastic as I understand it.

One thing that does it get by and is pretty easy to use is concrete. Codes allow a certain amount of "adds" before they pay attention and then afterwards you just need someone to sign off on it and maybe some basic testing. Plastic can be used as part of that add. It makes it weaker but usually its strong enough not to matter. Also concrete removes the flammability concern. If bound with wood fire is a major concern.
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is EcoStud engineered with plastics or is it a wood product?

Also, do you think recycled tires could be used in roofing/shingles?
 
#123
#123
utvolpj said:
my dad was an engineer for TVA working with those plants and said the same thing. Until then I believed it was truly possible and can see why so many still do
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When I was involved with catalyst for NOx abatement, I went to one TVA plant in Kentucky for a bid opening on a new NOx unit.

TVA was probably the biggest customer in the US for that particular type of catalyst. Probably still is, although they're not building any new coal-fired units and have probably shut down some of the older ones. When I was growing up in Knoxville my best friend's father was an accountant for TVA.
 
#125
#125
AirVol said:
This guy is making bank on plastic bottles.

A green island made of plastic bottles - The story of Richart Sowa | Greentravelife.com
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That report on the microplastic found in Monterrey Bay said about 40% of it was PET, the type plastic used in bottles. PET which is short for polyethylene terephthalate is one of the more easily recycled plastics because it can be broken down into the monomer units (like separating all the links in a chain) by a fairly mild chemical process, and the monomers recycled to make new PET polymer. I don't know why we don't require all waste PET in this country to be recycled in this country but it seems like the bulk of it is being shipped overseas for "recycling" in Asia...
 
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