NationStates Jolt Archive

Lead may no longer be an environmental problem. Yep, the US government is considering eliminating the problem of lead contamination in our environment by no longer considering lead to be a pollutant. Thank you EPA, you're really making the world a better place.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061207/sc_nm/lead_pollutant_dc_2

So, it won't be considered a pollutant again until 2008? So, it's safe for human consumption? :D

Just like the roman empire! *watches for slave uprisings*

That's not cool.

Rather like the FDA making hungry people go away by calling them people with low food security.

Oh. Shit.

Rather like the FDA making hungry people go away by calling them people with low food security.

It's just another one of those times where they assume they can actually ignore the problem and it will go away.

Guess what, my friends: that doesn't work.

Well, that's more or less to be expected isn't it? Lobbying by the Battery Council to revoke this ruling. Head in sand attitudes. Maybe they'd sing a different tune if lead was being pumped into their homes. In a high velocity particulate form.

Because past laws were successful in reducing lead pollution, we're going to eliminate them to...increase?...lead pollution.

Fuckwits.

Look on the bright side. If this passes we can make a fortune selling lead paint chips as a snack food.

And we should trust this goverment why?

The radio ran a story that the clean air scientists are no longer going to be speaking to what is harmful. That is now the job the political appointed position.

The shrub said it was "streamlining" the setup.

Take this environment! (http://bh.knu.ac.kr/~sdsong/images/Atomic%20Bomb.gif)

I think the new congress will have something to say about that. ;)

Just think of the possibilities! We could eliminate poverty, world hunger and AIDS just by declaring that it doesn't exist!!!

Just think of the possibilities! We could eliminate poverty, world hunger and AIDS just by declaring that it doesn't exist!!!

Or by dumping lead pollution on them! People who are dead aren't starving!

Or by dumping lead pollution on them! People who are dead aren't starving!

Ahhh!

So that is the compassionate conservatism that the shrub talks about!

Thanks for the clarification! :p

I think I'll play devil's advocate with this one.

The dangers of lead, like many other pollutants and even radiation, are often exagerated, especially among the general public. People hear a word like toxic and immediatly assume that the slightest contact will be fatal. People usually don't bother to learn much about something beyond the blurbs they hear on the news so they never find out just how much of a specific substance would need to be ingested to be fatal or even to cause any serious health problems.

Also, many environmentalists do not seem to understand that lead was extracted from the environment and the environment didn't seem to suffer much before it was.

Many environmental laws are based on fear or a lack of trust rather than facts. The mentality being one of "better safe than sorry" rather than "better to tell the truth and risk a few accidents or violations than to scare people into obeying".

Keep in mind that I was playing devil's advocate.

But if I was playing devil's advocate then that would make president Bush the devil. Oh Em Gee! Hugo Chávez was right!

Just think of the possibilities! We could eliminate poverty, world hunger and AIDS just by declaring that it doesn't exist!!!The FDA already eliminated hunger in the US that way. It's called "low food security" now.

I'm not surprised, though. Stephen Johnson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_L._Johnson) is the asshole that shares plenty of blame for CHEERS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_Environmental_Exposure_Research_Study). But hey, at least the battery industry will prosper. Who cares about a neurotoxin being removed from a pollutant list?

Or by dumping lead pollution on them! People who are dead aren't starving!Consider this: Ingesting small amounts of lead will damage your brain. In children, this can cause permanent deficiencies, effectively making kids dumber. There's no need to kill 'em, just make 'em dumb enough to buy all the bullshit...

Consider this: Ingesting small amounts of lead will damage your brain. In children, this can cause permanent deficiencies, effectively making kids dumber. There's no need to kill 'em, just make 'em dumb enough to buy all the bullshit...

Maybe they could act as a slave/consumer class that will not question why they're spending every dime of their tiny paycheck on useless shit. That's got to be good for the economy.

Consider this: Ingesting small amounts of lead will damage your brain. In children, this can cause permanent deficiencies, effectively making kids dumber. There's no need to kill 'em, just make 'em dumb enough to buy all the bullshit...

There you go, problem solved.

Lead has no biological function in the body (according to the Font of All Knowledge, Wiki). It does block biologically necessary elements like calcium and sodium from doing what they need to do. Since it's readily absorbed into the body but we have no use for it, how is it not a pollutant?

There you go, problem solved.

Lead has no biological function in the body (according to the Font of All Knowledge, Wiki). It does block biologically necessary elements like calcium and sodium from doing what they need to do. Since it's readily absorbed into the body but we have no use for it, how is it not a pollutant?Yeah, it's calcium and sodium blocking ability qualifies it as a neurotoxin.

Maybe they could act as a slave/consumer class that will not question why they're spending every dime of their tiny paycheck on useless shit. That's got to be good for the economy.

MTAE would be so proud of us coming up with this one! :p

MTAE would be so proud of us coming up with this one! :p

Actually, considering how little money the average American saves or invests and how much debt is hanging over his head, I think someone else came up with it first.