We import a ton of crap, most of which is unneeded, and all of which causes a ton of pollution. Three and a half to four percent of global warming emissions if you believe Wiki, and I do.
Lately imports and the loss of jobs associated with imports have been a topic politically. According to an AP story I read at VOA, global trade is also bad for the environment. They figure an additional quarter million deaths just from the pollution of the maritime shipping.
Producing more goods locally would change where deaths occur and potentially reduce overall deaths — if local emissions rules are tighter. Bringing back manufacturing to the United States, as President Donald Trump and politicians from both parties want, would bring more air pollution deaths to the U.S., but reduce deaths worldwide because pollution laws are stricter, Davis and others said.
I’m always skeptical of a story about some scientific report, and who knows, maybe the numbers are way off on this one despite the praise from other sources. No matter the exact size of the problem I would have to assume it really is a substantial problem. Shipping has no restrictions on the type of diesel burnt or the cleanliness of the engines burning it.
Recently I bought a new diesel truck. It has awesome emissions, mostly due to a urea additive and a post combustion burn of particulates. My emissions are undetectable to the naked eye. Smells like linseed oil. I don’t see why every diesel engine manufactured can’t burn as cleanly, and I don’t understand why we don’t have an import tax based on pollution as well as an export tax for the same. (we ship a lotta wheat to China).
Does this sound anti free trade? Oh well, I am. Buy local, manufacture local. There’s no reason we can’t be pro worker and anti pollution at the same time.
Yes, I read VOA, follow them on twitter. Wiki made for an interesting read.