Turning The Ballot Box Against Republicans

“The saving of labour time [is] equal to an increase of free time, i.e. time for the full development of the individual, which in turn reacts back upon the productive power of labour as itself the greatest productive power. From the standpoint of the direct production process it can be regarded as the production of fixed capital, this fixed capital being man himself. It goes without saying, by the way, that direct labour time itself cannot remain in the abstract antithesis to free time in which it appears from the perspective of bourgeois economy… Free time – which is both idle time and time for higher activity – has naturally transformed its possessor into a different subject, and he then enters into the direct production process as this different subject. This process is then both discipline, as regards the human being in the process of becoming; and, at the same time, practice [Ausübung], experimental science, materially creative and objectifying science, as regards the human being who has become, in whose head exists the accumulated knowledge of society.”

Spoken like a true socialist/communist. Marx would be proud of you

You sound like one of those people who were upset the car was going to replace the horse and all the jobs that came from horses being the primary source of travel.

Where Obama couldn't rule by legislation, he ruled by regulation, and in many cases, he only did what he did for his voting base and nothing more.

Thing is, industrial pollution, smog caused by automobile exhaust, mine tailings, coal ash, hog manure lagoons, environmental lead, etc all represent serious threats to people and end up costing the economy millions because of health care costs, loss of productivity, and cleaning up after toxic spills on land and water.

Where speeches and lectures not made by Marx?

Well, we could be like China and India and not do a thing about any of those.

I've never met any of those people; where'd you run into them?

Yeah sure, laugh all you want. Thing is, industrial pollution, smog caused by automobile exhaust, mine tailings, coal ash, hog manure lagoons, environmental lead, etc all represent serious threats to people and end up costing the economy millions because of health care costs, loss of productivity, and cleaning up after toxic spills on land and water. We know that waste products of industrial production incur costs to society long after they've been released into the environment. Why should people pay the price in poor health and costly amelioration while polluting corporations are allowed and encouraged to make maximum profits by ignoring the effects of waste downstream?

but both China and India are taking steps to reduce pollution

I've read about them, the invention of the car put a lot of people out of work, who do you think ran the stables not to mention an entire industry dedicated to caring for people's horses.

Our nation has been making progress on these fronts for years.

Would you like to share what they are doing and the reductions accomplished?

(...)

The massive economic growth of China was coupled with an increased energy demand, rapid urbanisation and faster motorisation. The result was rising air pollution in cities. In fact not long back, many cities in China were known for their notorious air quality. A study published in the famous science journal ‘The Lancet’ estimated that 11 lakh people had died prematurely in China due to ambient air pollution in 2015.

But things are different now, as China’s war against air pollution is now beginning to show results. Let me highlight three important takeaways for India:

Measure and monitor

One of the key reasons why there is so much inaction on air quality front is because of the lack of data. China now has a nationwide air quality monitoring system, which records the real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) in seventy-four cities. The capital city, Beijing, now has around 35 air quality monitoring stations, which record pollutants such as PM 2.5. The city now hopes to upgrade the monitoring systems by doubling the total number of air quality monitoring stations. Delhi has only 10 air quality monitoring stations while Gurugram has only one. In addition to the quantity of the monitoring stations, real-time monitoring still remains a challenge in Delhi-NCR.

Specific and measurable targets

China’s Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (APPCAP) set up specific and measurable targets for 2013-17. As per the plan, PM10 concentration in urban areas were to be decreased by 10% by 2017 compared to the 2012 base. Similarly, the deadly PM2.5 concentrations for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region were supposed to be lowered by 25% by 2017. The APPCAP also set up a target of PM2·5 below 60 for Beijing in 2017. However, this is not the end. China’s new plan for tackling air pollution that was published in July this year is more detailed and covers more cities than the one that expired at the end of 2017. The new plan also moves beyond PM2.5, and include gases like ozone in a big way. Hence, we should have similar achievable targets for Delhi and Gurugram and take actions accordingly to achieve and maintain them.

Concrete action on ground

In five years between 2013 to 2017, Beijing replaced four outdated coal-powered plants with gas-based ones. In addition, the city also has a campaign to demolish 39,000 terawatt hours of coal-fired boilers to curb pollution. During this period, the city also refurbished 2.17 million vehicles, which had high emissions and installed three-way catalytic converters for 50,000 taxis. The city has also rolled out of 200,000 new and clean energy vehicles for public transportation. Beijing has also put restriction on the number of private vehicles that can be registered every year. In addition, electric two wheelers are deployed for local freight delivery, thus managing emissions in a very planned and strategic way.

The strategy is already bearing results, as PM 2.5 levels are down by more than one third in 26 surrounding cities of Beijing, while Beijing itself has reported 50% reduction. Researchers have estimated that there were 47,000 fewer deaths in the country due to improved air quality in 74 cities in China in 2017 as compared to 2013.

Apart from the three main technical reasons, the biggest learning from China’s fight against air pollution is that it came from the highest authority of the country. It was President Xi Jinping who made the fight against air pollution country’s main priority.

India cannot and should not blindly copy from China, but it can surely use the framework for solving this problem. Air pollution is not a seasonal but a year-round problem in India, although stubble burning and firecrackers take it to the next level.

Amit Bhatt

Gee, that's really fascinating. I guess that's why truckers belong to the teamster's union.

Obviously there have been many examples of new technologies replacing old ones.

Despite what you may want to think, I'm not a Luddite, but I do have some concern that displaced workers will be treated as just so much industrial waste by their former employers.

More social spending ensues...

More crooked republican's sentences to be announced soon regarding Flint...