[Gary]

This months Model Rail editorial goes strong on the subject of Carbon Footprints.

There is a suggestion that some form of indicator should appear on model railway packaging.

Red for high and green for low presumably.

This would be bad for China and good for Europe so such legislation is invevitable within the EEC.

Would a carbon footprint indicator on packaging influence your buying habits?

Would you buy more model railway kit sourced in Europe if the carbon footprint favoured this?

Once such a system is introduced the next step will be import quotas with goods that have a red (high) indicator having restrictions placed upon them. This would of course signal the return of UK production for Hornby and Bachmann would also have to open a production facility in the UK if they wanted green carbon footprint indicators.

Happy modelling
Gary

Ps I agree with the OMG thinking when one jet flight probably produces a bigger carbon footprint that the entire Hornby production for a whole year however the law is the law and something like this is inevitable the way things are going.

 

[neil_s_wood]

Sounds good to me

 

[ozwarrior]

Surely there would have to be more graduations than just two colours?
And would something made in Europe but sold in Australasia have a red or green?

 

[ozwarrior]

Oh and another thought....I hope this would be for environmental reasons and not closet protectionism.

 

[neil_s_wood]

QUOTE (ozwarrior @ 22 May 2007, 11:32) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Oh and another thought....I hope this would be for environmental reasons and not closet protectionism.

Well as I'm living in a country that currently does this with many items I wouldn't recommend it. You'd end up with very little in your shops and supermarkets to choose from.

Many things here are only seasonal instead of all year round. While it's all very well to talk of growing everything locally, just think about what that means! It's not good.

 

[Makemineadouble]

QUOTE This months Model Rail editorial goes strong on the subject of Carbon Footprints.
QUOTE Model Rail are in danger of having more spin than a political party

I think I'd rather we left all the HOT AIR to the politicians I don't want want to see this subject in a model magazine that I choose to subscribe to.
If I want to read about this subject, I'll choose a News sheet. But while we are on the subject - let me cover my particular pet hate. Re-cycling of garden rubbish into so called compost. This uses additional energy to collect it, it produces poor quality compost, and the by - product of inefficient fermentation is ammonia released into the atmosphere. This is a really damaging green house gas. Noctious smells are released in to the local area caused by anaerobic activity or lack of oxygen. Efficient composting uses the indoor technique where gasses are passed through an air scrubber to remove green house gases. The resulting solids (ammonia sulphate ) is used to reactivate and accurate the composting process for the next batch. In effective composting methods used by local authorities use heavy machinery to rotate and stack it at regular intervals to aerate the product. Modern methods pass low pressure air through these lumps removing the need to turn it on a regular basis. Compost produced by the recycling authorities is a poor and inconstant product called in the trade Christmas pudding. Now I'm sure no one is intrested in what i've written any more than I'm interested in Model Rails version of the carbon foot print.

 

[Gary]

Unfortunately the fruits of model railways are classed as household goods and any such laws introduced for household goods such as washing machines, televisions, irons, microwaves, etc will equally apply to model railways.

Chris Leigh makes the point that model railway exhibitions are probably the cause of the biggest carbon footprint that the hobby generates without actually suggesting what could be done here to reduce carbon footprints.

The EEC will inevitably introduce something as these ideas have a political fair wind.

I would give UK Chinese model production no more than 15 years and then it will return to Europe with models being built in the UK, France, etc. by factories of workers from Poland, Rumania and other Eastern European countries.

And of course the cost of UK (and American?) models will skyrocket as a result.

Happy modelling
Gary

PS I purchased a household product yesterday in the UK. It was manufactured in Europe for an Australian company which has a packaging plant in Malasia!

PPS A 10 mile long x 3 mile wide ice island has broken away from the artic ice shelf. What do all the worlds reporters do but fly out to this new ice island to report on what is seen as the effects of you know what!

 

[pedromorgan]

i think the cost of transporting the goods is relitivly small in the scheme of things and so i dont understand why you are attaching soo much significance to this. a huge slow moving cargo ship is just about the most effecient form of transport there is.

I dont think this will effect where they are made in the slightest.

Also i dont think for me at least the carbon footprint would make any difference to me as i would always catagorize my models as luxury goods.

It would effect how i bought my lamb chops for instance.

the only way i can see model production returning to the UK is if it was completly automated to the point where the labour costs were an insignificant factor.

Peter

 

[boilermaker69]

QUOTE Would a carbon footprint indicator on packaging influence your buying habits?

Not at all, I believe that global warming is a natural phenomenon and is cyclic (the earth has had ice ages and warming before). I further believe that any "Carbon Credit" scheme is just another rip off designed to relieve the consumer of more of his hard earned cash.

 

[Makemineadouble]

QUOTE Not at all, I believe that global warming is a natural phenomenon and is cyclic (the earth has had ice ages and warming before). I further believe that any "Carbon Credit" scheme is just another rip off designed to relieve the consumer of more of his hard earned cash.

Well said

 

[7113]

QUOTE (Gary @ 22 May 2007, 09:07) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>PS I purchased a household product yesterday in the UK. It was manufactured in Europe for an Australian company which has a packaging plant in Malasia!

And I recently bought a Preiser British "bobby" which is MADE in Germany but painted in Mauritius!

Regards

John

 

[ME 26-06]

QUOTE (boilermaker69 @ 22 May 2007, 14:55) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>(the earth has had ice ages and warming before)

True, but whenever these occurred, **** sapiens became a very scarce sight, if not extinct, in the affected areas.

I´d agree to introduce this carbon footprint, as it would make the consumer become aware of how his/her personal purchases affect our environment. It would encourage the customers to make an educated choice about the products they´re buying, environment-wise.

 

[spongebob]

Honestly! if they put any more crap on packaging they'll struggle to find anywhere to tell you what you've just bought. Perhaps an energy efficiency rating (as now found on even lightbulbs) would be more appropriate.