>>Cost is generally regarded as an invalid reason for pollution. Surely it costs less to dump industrial waste in the river as well.
You know, I'm feeling idealistic like this quite often, but then the reality hits hard sometimes. In Poland where I'm from apparently 35% of residential properties still use coal for heating in 2020, which to my modern sensibilities is insane, but then I speak to some of my family living outside of the cities and the reality is:
1) there is no mainline gas supply, so gas is not really an option, unless you want to pay a lot of money to have an external tank installed at your property(look at point 3)
2) electricity is far too expensive to use for heating, every back of a napkin calculation shows that it would simply eat your entire salary to heat using electricity in colder months. Electricity in Poland is both hugely expensive and almost entirely from fossil fuels, we produce most of our electricity from coal power plants(and building more of them!). I can keep telling people that "surely their health is more important than money" but it would literally by a question of "heat or food for the month" if they used electric heaters.
3) there are some "eco" options like converting your boiler to eco-pellets, but even with EU grants, realistically, it's still like 2-3 months worth of salary to fit a new boiler for a lot of people. Simply not an option.
4) coal is very very cheap. You can buy supply that will last you entire winter for about ~400USD, maybe less if you're willing to burn poorer quality coal(which theoretically shouldn't be burnt anymore but yeah good luck enforcing it).
>>If some people can't afford it then give them money instead
Again, that's cool as an idea, that's just not how it works in reality.
You know, I'm feeling idealistic like this quite often, but then the reality hits hard sometimes. In Poland where I'm from apparently 35% of residential properties still use coal for heating in 2020, which to my modern sensibilities is insane, but then I speak to some of my family living outside of the cities and the reality is:
1) there is no mainline gas supply, so gas is not really an option, unless you want to pay a lot of money to have an external tank installed at your property(look at point 3)
2) electricity is far too expensive to use for heating, every back of a napkin calculation shows that it would simply eat your entire salary to heat using electricity in colder months. Electricity in Poland is both hugely expensive and almost entirely from fossil fuels, we produce most of our electricity from coal power plants(and building more of them!). I can keep telling people that "surely their health is more important than money" but it would literally by a question of "heat or food for the month" if they used electric heaters.
3) there are some "eco" options like converting your boiler to eco-pellets, but even with EU grants, realistically, it's still like 2-3 months worth of salary to fit a new boiler for a lot of people. Simply not an option.
4) coal is very very cheap. You can buy supply that will last you entire winter for about ~400USD, maybe less if you're willing to burn poorer quality coal(which theoretically shouldn't be burnt anymore but yeah good luck enforcing it).
>>If some people can't afford it then give them money instead
Again, that's cool as an idea, that's just not how it works in reality.