RE: Gas or Electric

I think it's been forgotten how at the end of the 19th century there was a lot of worry in professional circles how "the-great-social-we" was going to deal with the incredible amount of manure generated by urban societies that used horses for a large amount of their transportation. There were major fatal-infectionous-disease public health issues. As is the case with many waste management issues, a few animals here & there is one thing, 10-to-the-7th-power animals is another.

-----Original Message-----
From: ryoder@mail.unomaha.edu [mailto:ryoder@mail.unomaha.edu]
Sent: Friday, January 11, 2002 9:44 AM
To: Minicucci, Bob
Cc: p2tech@great-lakes.net
Subject: RE: Gas or Electric

Bob,

right you are - nothing is ever easy. I'd simply point out that people do
occassionally offer to come and cart away - for free - part of our pile of
horse hockey. There is value as a fertilizer there, and potential problems,
I concur. Still, I've never heard of anyone offering to gather the land
mines left by the neighborhood dogs...

The public's perception of risk, and "risk communication" is a whole
'nother issue. My observation is that the public will accept a great deal
of onerous impacts (Exxon Valdez, even war) if they desire the benefits
(lights go on when wanted, low-cost personal transportation) that go along
with it.

regards,

ry

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Richard Yoder, PE
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