GOP for foam out of spite

[Swatopluk]

Another top priority of the GOP at last came on the table (or off it in a way).
Pelosi had introduced biodegradable packaging in the Congress canteen to replace styrofoam.
Since all what Pelosi does is evil from start, that decision now got reversed and the old foam is back.
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/509010/gop_cancels_biodegradable_packaging%2C_brings_styrofoam_back?page=entire

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I heard that in the morning news, and it doesn't surprise me at all (remember Reagan pulling down the solar panels from the WH?) it simply proves what we already know. What will depress me is the celebration of the measure by not only the usual suspects but some of the base. I don't wanna know how many people still don't understand those problems despite the growing mountains of garbage surrounding them.

[Aggie]

I genuinely would like to believe that these type of Republicans are just stubborn, prideful and needlessly combative, and not intentionally evil.

It's difficult.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I stopped trying. They are misguided, evil or (most likely) both.

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

I think they're funny, in that can't-decide-if-I-should-laugh-or-scream kind of way. They seem to be convinced that God has given us a planet which will effortlessly bounce back because he loves us. Or something.

[Aggie]

<sub>you mean something as in, it's all going to burn and styrofoam will help it burn hotter?

sorry, I keep looking up to find myself wearing my pessimist hat today</sub>   

[Swatopluk]

I think they're funny, in that can't-decide-if-I-should-laugh-or-scream kind of way. They seem to be convinced that God has given us a planet which will effortlessly bounce back because he loves us. Or something.

It will last (for the US) until Armageddon arrives, which will always be soon.
Or to quote James Watt (Reagan's Secretary of the Interior, not the inventor): When the last tree is felled the Lord will come back.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

While I don't doubt some idiots think that way, I seriously doubt the ones pulling the strings are, they just want excuses to pollute as much as they can because they know eventually they wont be able to get away with it. Is being destructive on the virtue that later it will be harder to be as destructive.

[Swatopluk]

But the string pullers likely do not care about such 'peanuts' as the packaging used in the Congressional canteen.
They have bigger fish to fry (and oil). It might even displease them since it attracts unwanted eyes to their machinations.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

I disagree, those people are heavy on symbols, they believe that if congress is using Styrofoam then it is "safe" for the rest of the population, and by extension, it is A-OK to use non biodegradable materials in they everyday lives. 

[Swatopluk]

Time to lace it with something nasty

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

As if they cared.

[Aggie]

Yeah!  Let's put something nasty like styrene in it!  

[Griffin NoName]

It was even reported in the press here.

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

Yeah!  Let's put something nasty like styrene in it!  

I love you.

While I don't doubt some idiots think that way, I seriously doubt the ones pulling the strings are, they just want excuses to pollute as much as they can because they know eventually they wont be able to get away with it. Is being destructive on the virtue that later it will be harder to be as destructive.

Mmmm, I wouldn't say that. I'd say that they don't care beyond the next quarter and unless you start clean, it's expensive to get clean. And getting clean would bite into profits ya know. The health and safety of the planet and everyone on it just isn't worth it because it's not going to hurt the bottom line this quarter. I've said before, but corporations (or a lot of them) are very much profits nownownow and things that aren't Now don't matter. I'd liken it to pre-OSHA factories more than anything - people were (are) replaceable and keeping your workers safe is pretty much not worth it if you can go get someone new to replace an injured worker.

[Aggie]

Yeah!  Let's put something nasty like styrene in it!  

I love you.

For the sentiment, or the bad chemistry joke?  

Mmmm, I wouldn't say that. I'd say that they don't care beyond the next quarter and unless you start clean, it's expensive to get clean. And getting clean would bite into profits ya know.

I can attest to that.  You think oil's difficult and expensive to get out of the ground the first time?  It's much worse if you spill it.
_{it also takes an unfortunate amount of fossil fuel to dig it up, truck it to a bigger hole in the ground, and bury it again.}

Fortunately, the provincial government does a very respectable job of making sure sites are cleaned up (eventually), and makes petroleum companies set aside funds for cleanup, in case they go out of business and leave their messes behind.  AB's undoubtedly business-friendly, but they've made environmental protection, in terms of actual soil and water contamination, a necessary cost of doing business.  Most oil companies, especially the larger ones, have genuinely embedded worker safety and minimizing environmental impact into the corporate culture (hasn't always trickled completely down to the field level; depends on the operators and how hard head office has pushed it through the ranks).  Greenhouse gas emissions are still a bit of a lag-point, but the entire industry is designed to pump fossil carbon in to the atmosphere as fast as possible.

[Scriblerus the Philosophe]

That's the way to do it.

Yeah!  Let's put something nasty like styrene in it!  

I love you.

For the sentiment, or the bad chemistry joke?  

Both.

[Swatopluk]

I sin with styrofoam about once a week when the food in the canteen is totally not to my liking.
Then I go to the Asia Snackpoint next door. The takeaway is in styrofoam boxes.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

While I don't doubt some idiots think that way, I seriously doubt the ones pulling the strings are, they just want excuses to pollute as much as they can because they know eventually they wont be able to get away with it. Is being destructive on the virtue that later it will be harder to be as destructive.

Mmmm, I wouldn't say that. I'd say that they don't care beyond the next quarter and unless you start clean, it's expensive to get clean. And getting clean would bite into profits ya know. The health and safety of the planet and everyone on it just isn't worth it because it's not going to hurt the bottom line this quarter. I've said before, but corporations (or a lot of them) are very much profits nownownow and things that aren't Now don't matter. I'd liken it to pre-OSHA factories more than anything - people were (are) replaceable and keeping your workers safe is pretty much not worth it if you can go get someone new to replace an injured worker.

Actually I do see a distinction between your average CEO and your average corporate owner, the CEO wants whatever grows the share price in the short term but the owners of the corporations (or at least some) have a very strategic view of the field (think about the Kochs) they are looking long term, and you can see some long term behavior in big oil too, at least the realization that sooner or later things will change. Then you get the mixture of short term decision based on long term analysis. Even corporate people isn't completely stupid long term or you wouldn't see a number of corporations trying to change the way they do business, but they want the process to last the longest possible because the perceived economic hit would be delayed. Obviously some corporations are incapable of long term thinking but most of the big fish have people thinking on the long term, even if they are unwilling to act on it.

[Swatopluk]

It's simple: If the change will be necessary and effective only after you checked out (with a big cheque or preferably hard cash), then doing something is likely to be counterproductive as far as your loot is concerned.