If you’re interested in discussions about making the world a better place, come visit Pacific’s Facebook page. To get quick updates about recycling and environmental topics, follow Pacific on Twitter.

The problem with articles like this is that they are very short-sighted. Sure there is a boost to dealers, to steel mills and scrap yards but how long will it last? While dealers have sold a lot of cars, it only amounts to less than 5% of the total number of new car sales predicted for one year. And dealers have collected only about 2% of the rebate mony from the government. With the program ending on Monday, plan on seeing a huge drop off in car buying after that. All the people who were planning on buying a car over the next 3-4 months will have already bought their vehicles, which leaves a big void of buyers through the beginning of next year. That will lead to reduction of car orders which will lead to a reduction in steel demand which will lead to a reduction in scrap demand which puts us right back where we are now, still a very fragile economy on the edge of recovery. I’m not trying to be a doomsayer, I’m just putting forward the picture that the logical part of my brain has painted. Believe me, I’m generally a very optimistic person so this is hard for me to say. So, what are your thoughts?