Can O' Spy Chips

[Oxygon]

Firts let me say that this is the only place I ever really post things...

"Garbage Cans Pack Spy Chips"

http://www.livescience.com/scienceoffic ... velgy.html

...

Does anyone really care about this?

It is in my opinion no different than a UPC? for its use...

UPC can be worn or damaged by use and RFID just seems obvious, not evil.

P.S. - Plus if you have overtly heavy garbage, it costs the truck more energy from A to B... so a garbage tax for weight doesnt seem inordinate, does it?

[scott]

I agree RFID on its own is not evil. The article is a good example of sensational (or yellow) journalism. RFID is simply a tool which can be used for good or for evil. Just like a screwdriver.

I also agree that it is perfectly fair and reasonable for a trash hauling company to use RFID on their trash cans to enable fair and accurate billing of their customers.

In fact as a consumer I wish my own trash company had this service. I would love to pay exactly by the pound for trash I throw out. I don't produce much trash, but my bill probably reflects an upward adjustment to account for households that do. Also, paying by the pound would add an incentive for individual customers to produce less trash overall.

-Scott

P.S. I don't know if trash hauling service in England is run by the government or by private companies. Here in Colorado it is run by private companies. If it were the goverment using RFID on trash cans I would have serious reservations and would probably be against it.

[John Collins]

'Trash hauling' in England is the responsibility of local metropolitan authorities (town councils), but mostly they outsource to private companies who have tendered to provide the service. Collecting the data from such services would inevitably be open to abuse and security concerns.

I hadn't heard of this idea, but it seems to me that those who had the most trash might pay the most and were likely to be those people with more children and therefore, arguably less able to pay - while those like myself whose children have grown up and moved away might produce less trash and yet have more disposable income to pay the garbage bill.

John Collins

[ken_behrendt]

Eventually, I can see the coming of a Global Warming Tax that will be determined for every automobile and home owner. Tiny Green House Gas sensors will, by law, be required to be installed on all automotive exhaust systems and on chimneys of peoples' homes. Kinda makes sense, shouldn't those who emit the most Green House gases have to pay the most to clean it all up?


ken