Environmental plan from 1972 backfires, anybody need an old tire?

This is so sad that it's funny.

Apparently some environmentalists came up with the idea to dump over a million tires in the ocean to create artificial reefs. They didn't bother to check if coral would grow on rubber....it does not.
This is what happens when you don't do your research before taking action.
Apparently some tires "90,000" have broken loose and are damaging the coral.
Now we have to pay to clean up the mess.

Below is a snippet from the article and a link.

"What to do with a million used tires? Dump them in the ocean, of course.

As unthinkable as that idea is today, back in 1972, that was what Florida environmentalists chose to do, in an attempt to create an artificial reef. They gathered up old tires, ferried them a mile offshore from Fort Lauderdale’s world-famous beach and tossed them overboard."

www.foxnews.com...

While it claims it was "environmentalists" I wouldn't be surprised to see that whoever it was, was coincidentally friends with someone in charge of a company with a whole lot of used tires. The purchase of therein for this project, netting a healthy dollar.

Mind you thats all speculation, but it is the kind of thing you see behind blunder like this.


en.wikipedia.org...

Maybe its wishful thinking that people couldn't be that stupid, or shortsighted [at least test it in a smaller tank to see if it works!] but its daunting the number of people involved, and agencies/establishments. Id love to know if someone was lobbying on behalf of tire disposal, or if these people came up with the idea on their own. Id hope they didnt, but who knows...

a reply to: boncho


It's also funny that the tires are being burned in a incinerator now for green energy

a reply to: Bluntone22

Truly i agree, it is hilarious that our parents made mistakes that backfired today.

Hey, it was all a good idea in the seventies. Oh those seventies people. What where they thinking? Those fools.

Why would they think differently today?

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: boncho


It's also funny that the tires are being burned in a incinerator now for green energy

Amazing what you can get away with if you attach the "Green" label on to the project.

Although I remember reading years ago the Japanese coming up with a filtration system would could filter out entirely the fumes from a refuse incineration system, and then the filters themselves were burned later.

It was all part of a self sustaining building which filtered its water, produced energy, etc

a reply to: boncho

Garbage plasma.... i had an old thread on it, will see if I can find it.

a reply to: Subnatural

Stupid is as stupid does
So forest says

Really, What kind of idiocy, to think you can make a reef out of old tires. These kind of rubbers leach out toxins over periods of time. And as sensitive as coral invertebrates are its no wonder they didnt take up home on a tire with metal banding inside them usually. I would lean more towards this being an easy way to get rid of a trashy tires. I dont get why tires arent made to be recycled, to costly, well look at how much its going to cost now

a reply to: boncho
Here it is if the youtube videos still work:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: Glassbender777

What an interesting idea. Manufacture something which is supposed to be recycled. Is there anything anywhere like this, outside of aluminum cans? If we got into recycling, a lot of problems might go away.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: boncho


It's also funny that the tires are being burned in a incinerator now for green energy

Try burning a tire yourself, plan to take your toothbrush for jail.

There is nothing green about it. The tons of filters full of pollutants still have to be disposed of. They just concentrated it into a smaller package and were allowed to release a certain amount of toxins into the air.

If you want to get rid of used tires, you don't burn them or toss them into the ocean, you melt them with a catalyst and recombine the gasses and solids in a manner that makes salable products out of the converted materials; this is the 21st century you know….

…damn some people are foolish….

originally posted by: TinfoilTP

originally posted by: Bluntone22
a reply to: boncho


It's also funny that the tires are being burned in a incinerator now for green energy

Try burning a tire yourself, plan to take your toothbrush for jail.

There is nothing green about it. The tons of filters full of pollutants still have to be disposed of. They just concentrated it into a smaller package and were allowed to release a certain amount of toxins into the air.

There was a scam going around, not sure if it still is. There are a couple legitimate means of processing old tires into a number of amazing, useful products. And then there were some various methods of using them as fuel without making a huge impact on the waste products produced.... And finally there was some energy crackpots who were pushing the idea of 'clean' energy from the same kind of methods, while they had their own, well... they had two: The one they were claiming, and then them burning a load of tires and racking up as much investor cash possible prior.

I believe below is one of the legit methods of making energy from tires. Though I don't know the environmental impact, I just searched quickly. Its been too long since Ive looked into this to remember everything off hand.

www.slthermal.com...

· Electrostatic Precipitator & GE West Scrubber Production Unit Achieves 97% SO2 and 99% CI Removal
· Hybrid Water and Air Cooling System

A tire-to-energy power plant in Sterling, Conn., went on-line in 1991. The 30-megawatt Exeter fa-cility is fueled by whole tires. The plant consumes 23,000 tires per day, or 288 tons, in twin boilers that supply steam to a 30-mega-watt turbine generator. The 40-megawatt Ridge Generation Station in Polk County, Fla., burns both shredded tires and wood waste.

waste360.com...