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I can't imagine it, but that's exactly the sort of thing we need for coal, oil, gas and nuclear. Well everything really, to solve the incessant tendency to fail
by NeedMoreTea 7y ago
I can't imagine it, but that's exactly the sort of thing we need for coal, oil, gas and nuclear. Well everything really, to solve the incessant tendency to fail the business and let the state sort (or not) the cleanup adequately.
Whatever way it's done needs to provide a level playing field to permit real comparisons of cost, environmental impact, and real consequences for not bothering to fix the pipeline leak etc. If you want to subsidise green energy (or fossil), it should be a visible layer on top, not baked in so you can't easily compare.
Maybe then, markets could start giving the correct answers...
- mattmanser 7y agoIt won't work, as when it comes time to pay for the cleanup the parent company will go 'bust', and like a phoenix a new company will rise from the ashes with the same owners.
- NeedMoreTea 7y agoI'm sure there's lots of fair and creative ideas could be dreamed up that can solve this, without destroying commerce, or leaving gaping loopholes. Do we want sustainable, or just the pretence of it? How about requiring some large percent of turnover or profit to be held in escrow until decommissioning? Set it at whatever level necessary such that all companies will eventually get a refund from it, only if they still exist, otherwise it goes to state coffers, or distributed to the population. Added bonus of encouraging some long-termism. Beats socialising all losses and cleanups via the state. Might not be quite so popular with the extremely wealthy. :)