Moving Towards Responsible Stewardship

The RoHS initiative is playing havoc with the electronics industry - trying to find acceptable replacements for lead solder. It's not so intractable in the commercial world, but in the military and space community it hasn't been adequately addressed yet. The problem is that tin "whiskers" tend to grow from solder joints that don't contain lead. These whiskers can cause shorts. In the commercial world, products aren't expected to be used forever, so this is not such a problem, but in the military world, a system may be fielded for 20 years. And in the space community, a mission may easily exceed 10 years - with no way to repair or replace components. There are workarounds in use, but no one has 10 - 20 year data on them, and that leaves us a little in the dark.

But, inconvenience aside, I'm in favor of these kinds of ecological initiatives, regardless of whether the Europeans sh*t on the railroad tracks.

Military and life-critical components that contain electronics are exempt from RoHS.

That's all well and good - until you try to buy parts.

ISO,

At least they don't still throw it out the window of a house as you walk down the street... This all smells of French arrogance and USA envy.

At least they don't still throw it out the window of a house as you walk down the street... This all smells of French arrogance and USA envy.

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Ha, Right on the nose!

The crap out the window issue was why the social custom of a man walking closer to the center of the street where the crap landed in an effort to protect the women came from. It sounds like a crappy culture to me...

Isn't most of the scrap electronic gear polluting the far east of europeein origin?

Good point!

As someone who has worked in a variety of industries that export to Europe or have subsidiaries there, it is apparent that a good part of the motivation behind most of their "standards" and/or product environmental initiatives is an effort to make it more difficult for manufacturers outside the EU to sell there, rather than for some more lofty goals. And, the truth be known we (the U.S.) do some of the same thing, often shooting ourselves in the foot by doing so, the same as they do.

In our case to give one example, we have our own unique standards for railway passenger cars, "to make them safer". Trouble is, we no longer manufacture any railway passenger cars or commuter trains with integrated locomotives. So guess what happens when a railroad here needs cars or has to order new commuter trains? They have to be custom designed, so after an overly lengthy bid process and series of design reviews, we end up buying what are essentially foriegn made prototypes, instead of "off-the-shelf" proven designs. The result is we pay through the nose, have to put up with seemingly endless delays in deliveries and then spend years working the bugs out.

In a kind of reverse twist, we just recently got around to limiting the sulfur content in diesel fuel, which effectively kept foriegn made diesel cars from being able to meet our pollution standards for the past few years.

Trust me when I say it's just as hard to manufacture in europe, as the new regs apply to all componants. Also, if your product does not comply, they will take it of the shelves.

Greg,

The large companies love to have regulations. It sets up "barriers to entry" as they say in MBA school.

There needs to be an avenue for small companies to make cars and sell them in limited quantities so that they can get started. This way new companies with new cultures can emerge. In airplanes there is the "experimental" and sport airplane classes that allow airplanes to be made with some restrictions. This allows a company to get started, then progress up. With a more components based horizontal system where parts are made for the open market, the best engine can be made, and then a new one come along. Now it is almost impossible for new engines to get into a car. The car company is the gate keeper and they have been very "not invented here" in their attitude.

When you look at it it all comes down to how to get a monopoly and how to keep the small guy from moving in on your space. Large companies fear most a rough inventor that takes out their business. The government then gets "invested" with the status quo and companies that should have died a long time ago (GM, FORD), linger on. Then comes the government supported foreign companies (Japanese, chinese) that focus on quality production and we don't have equal access to their home turf and so much for American manufacturing.

Companies need to be allowed to die and be reborn, just like trees die and new trees come up. The mind set now is tha nothing should change. This is manifest in the Global Warming debate, and it seems that the "liberals" are really just someone scared of change and competition. The government then regulates and soon you cannot get rid of the dead wood.

I LOVE the energy "crisis." Why? It is an opportunity. If oil went to 100/b I would be very glad. Governments in contrast hate it. They need to "manage" change. Their reason for existance is at stake and they don't want changes that could make their control no longer needed. Regulations give them a reason for being, and support their existence. I say let the market decide and hire a good lawyer. Fire the rats...

Being fired is a good thing. It gives you a new lease on life. You realize you can make your life what you want to make of it.

The main problem in Europe is the fact that you cannot start over easily. If you decide to go out on your own and try to start a new business, and you fail, you are in for a hard time. you can't go to college at age 30. The culture (in Germany which I am very familiar with) is designed to keep people down and support the status quo. It sucks, to be frank. It is fear based and control freaks run Europe. But I digress....

Seaplaneguy,

You speak the truth. You must have studied that culture in depth. One of the things I found was that the French, German and Swiss seem to be locked into the 19th century when it comes to new Ideas with regard to business models and government thinking.

ISO,

I minored in German at the University, did an intern over there and lived there over a year to boot. The culture likes degrees and titles, sometimes four deep. They have a Sie and Du form, just like English has a "you" and "thee" form. Thee is the familiar or personal form no longer used in English. When you work on an assembly line like I did, you speak familiar Du form, and when the Obermeister comes around you Sie him. Status is a big thing over there. I find it repressive, pretentious, obnoxious, offensive, belittling, arrogant, and down right unfun.

They like to test kids at 12 for university so that kids that are from the working class stay working class, and kids that are sons of Professors somehow manage to become the same. Funny how that works... Some 12-year-old kid is totally influenced by his parents. The opportunity in the USA is so much greater as to be night and day. I would never dream of even trying to do what I am doing, let alone attempt it.

Then there is the French...my father and mother spoke French, my brother Italian, and my wife Portuguese. The French are so much back in 1800's as to be insane, but soon to become Moslem, the Italians long for the Roman empire, and the Portuguese are living in about 1492. Then the Spanish, who were the last European country to not have a dictator/commi government, just gave up to Al-Queda. The Spanish were some of the most vile, murderous and evil scum when they came to the Americas, I cannot imagine why any self respecting Mexican would want to speak such a language from such a low culture.

Going north, the English still have a queen and such, and somehow have not grown up enough, the Dutch will be Moslem in 20 years, from whores (ever been to Amsterdam? Ann Frank turned working girl) to Moores? The Swiss are not that bad, but totally unfriendly with all the negatives of Germans, the Austrians (lived there 6 months) are over the top arrogant, especially from Vienna (Ich komme nicht aus Wein, was a comment of a friend of mine who had a Vienna accent used to say). At least they stopped the Moslems in 9/11 1683, from which we get (some say) the 911 junk.

The Swedish...well they are over the top Socialists on the verge of collapse, the Fins are nice, but quiet. I like the Daines, they seem to have some brains, but no guts to stand up for Mo cartoons. Just a bunch of wimps.

They all won't be around if they don't start understanding what sex is for...

HA!

Seaplaneguy,

I was right, you do understand the culture and in depth. I just have real problems when someone comes along and starts tooting Europe's horn and comparing the United States to them. It's just plain wrong especially on environmental and technology issues. I too have spent enough time in those same countries to have a pretty good Idea as to their mindset and capabilities in these areas (not impressed). In those same places age is a problem if one aspires to a position at the top within a major corporation. Once you reach 40 or 45 and you haven't made it, forget it. It's not just ones age but who you are related to and who you know in those younger years starting out.

Your comments about the growing Muslim influence and power there is also quite visible and although I enjoyed traveling there, the architecture and friendships established, I avoid it these days just because of that and their seeming capitulation to what I see as an invasion. I just hope we don't follow that model.

It's good to see intolerance and bigotry alive and well.

God bless America, because the rest of the world won't.

PibMak,

I see you have taken offence at some of my comments. I intended to offend no one, just simply pointing out differences in cultures and expectations and I consider the UK off limits. However, if you will tell me what country you are from originally I will include it in my next rant. I wouldn't want to miss anyone deserving.

Long Live the Queen,

ISO Retired

Hello mate, don't worry, no offence taken, I'm thicker skinned then that, being ¼ Irish, ¼ Dutch and ½ English. (My wife is Greek / Scottish, so watch out!) I was trying to point out that some of the comments above play into the anti American brigade's hands, being exactly what most people, certainly 'over here' would expect. Certainly environmental issues are high on the agenda here in Europe, pushed by the media and public opinion. Politicians, don't forget, wont touch any issue unless they see votes in it for them. The WEEE Regs and the RoHS Regs are aimed at preventing anything harmful getting into the environment, by placing the responsibility onto the business concerned. This obviously costs, and the cost will be passed on to the consumer, but in general the there is no real concern here about that. As individuals, we each have to decide if we care for what we dump or not. The laws in the UK are very tight on what goes to landfill, incineration and recycling, to the extant that local authorities are talking about 'bugging' consumers waste and penalising individuals for behaving irresponsibly. This makes the news, but it's only a small minority who complain, most people understanding the need to manage the situation. Moving up the scale is the idea of global warming, and is it really happening? About the only thing anyone can say and be certain about, is that the worlds climate is changing. Don't believe me? OK, go and live in New Orleans. What is causing it? No-one really knows for sure, but do we take a risk? What harm will it do trying to be environmentally aware? It certainly won't hurt anyone, and it may help, so the downside is? Hmm, must be financial. What's the richest country in the world? Last I heard it was the US. So, when we here an American accent saying that there is no problem with the climate, we tend to think that the whole of the US is either in denial, or worse, is saying effectively 'we do what we want, the rest of the world can go hang.' That's the picture the world sees. Clearly, there are problems elsewhere, such as India and China, but who is going to set the standards? At the moment, Europe is at least making an effort, so I'm comfortable taking the moral high ground here. Particularly as our politicians get taken to task by the media, and don't get given lists of approved questions before a press conference.

PlbMak,

Things are not really that different here in the US. I could ditto practically all of your comments as to what the Brits and your government may do. Of course there will be differences but not to the extent argument. One thing you point out that is so spot on is your comment "Certainly environmental issues are high on the agenda here in Europe, pushed by the media and public opinion. Politicians, don't forget, wont touch any issue unless they see votes in it for them." Now why does that sound so much like everything I read here? Unfortunately Politicians will opine on anything right or wrong where it has favor with the media. But the media will not give alternative views/research the time of day. Therefore, public opinion is greatly formed by the media. It's difficult to counter either if you are not given equal time or space. People only hear about the violations never the compliance or costs associated with it. It (the media) thrives on controversy and continuously stirs the pot and to a point that is good. But when it only serves to antagonize or divide it's harmful.

As for the question "What harm will it do trying to be environmentally aware?" None! Every person on this earth should be. We must, however, be environmentally intelligent as well and base our support and actions based on proven empirical evidence so that what we do and support is correct. New Orleans is not nor was it ever an example of climate change. It was an example of poor planning, bad judgment, and media hyping. One hundred years ago, three times that many people died at Galveston TX. from the same thing. The only difference was there was no hurricane warning system then. Think that was global warming? The New Orleans disaster was man made, no doubt, but on a different scale. Some people refused to leave and others were to poor or invalids and couldn't. Ignorance and incompetence of local officials played a much larger role. The hurricane itself was no larger and yet smaller than some other hurricane/s that reach the southern United States almost every year.

As for the ice caps, while they shrink at some points they thicken at others north and south. Don't worry about the oceans rising and inundating our global coast lines as 80% of those masses are under water to begin with. We might expect an inch or two at most (negligible) and it is a cycle that the earth goes through every few thousand years. The polar bears will become extinct at some point in the future as the human population grows and consumes more land mass, driving the brownie and grizzly north and the polar bear comes south due to shrinking habitat. They will cross breed one or the other into extinction. Not because of the automobile but because of the cycle.

I think God must see some humor in the follies of man when he watches us try to predict the course of nature in but the blink of an eye and presume we have all the answers.

God Save the Queen!

Seaplaneguy,

While I am impressed with your knowledge or understanding of the European culture, England not withstanding, your assessment of the Kennedy family is argumentative. The flavor of your descriptions leaves much to be desired with regard to decency and appropriateness to this forum. I know that you have done better.

ISO Retired

Seaplanegiy,

Your point is made. Have a good one!

ISO Retired