The New Asbestos? (flooring, how much, granite, laminate)
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So, back in our grandparents' and great grandparents' day, asbestos was the new miracle building material. It would barely burn, and was a good insulator. Years later, we found out how dangerous the crap is when disturbed, etc.
So, what are they putting/building into new homes today that will become the new enviromental and health hazard of tomorrow? Any thoughts????
Asbestos was and is a great material for many products. The problem is that it is dangerous to make the products. They could have made the manufacturing process safe and continued to use aesbestos with no problems but it was more fun and more beneficial to lawyers and remediation people to create a panic. If they still made asbestos products in some other country and did not endanger workers doing it, I would buy flooring, and insulation without a second thought.
So the issue is not what product is going to turn out to be dangerous, as much as what product are the fear mongers going to target to create a hype? My guess is granite counters. They already tried to make a hype about radon coming out of them. Maybe they will come up with something better.
In order to properly fear monger, they have to find something that is widely used so they can panic a large number of people. The product also must have some real health risk to it in some manner. Fear Mongering only works if you exaggerate the risk, not if you make it up entirely. Mold is a good example. One type of mold out of hundreds is toxic for most people and a few people are severely allegergic to any mold. This made it easy to blow it up into a big panic and milks millions out of homeowners to combat this great menace. They are very quiet about the fact that mold is naturally occurring and it exists everywhere regardless of what you do. Since there is some real danger from some molds it was easy to blow it up so that everyone panics and calls expensive remdiators at the first sign of mold.
It is hard to guess what will be next. granite? carpeting? laminate flooring? stainless steel? The will certainly find something. they always do.
Asbestos was and is a great material for many products. The problem is that it is dangerous to make the products. They could have made the manufacturing process safe and continued to use aesbestos with no problems but it was more fun and more beneficial to lawyers and remediation people to create a panic. If they still made asbestos products in some other country and did not endanger workers doing it, I would buy flooring, and insulation without a second thought.
So the issue is not what product is going to turn out to be dangerous, as much as what product are the fear mongers going to target to create a hype? My guess is granite counters. They already tried to make a hype about radon coming out of them. Maybe they will come up with something better.
In order to properly fear monger, they have to find something that is widely used so they can panic a large number of people. The product also must have some real health risk to it in some manner. Fear Mongering only works if you exaggerate the risk, not if you make it up entirely. Mold is a good example. One type of mold out of hundreds is toxic for most people and a few people are severely allegergic to any mold. This made it easy to blow it up into a big panic and milks millions out of homeowners to combat this great menace. They are very quiet about the fact that mold is naturally occurring and it exists everywhere regardless of what you do. Since there is some real danger from some molds it was easy to blow it up so that everyone panics and calls expensive remdiators at the first sign of mold.
It is hard to guess what will be next. granite? carpeting? laminate flooring? stainless steel? The will certainly find something. they always do.
Could be. That would be a good one for panic purposes.
They tried that with the older stuff. "It has arsenic in it! (Panic panic). Of course so does the ground. And so does your food which is grown in the ground. They did not seem to get very far with the arsenic panic attempt, but I think that they no longer use arsenic in treated lumber. Maybe whatever they used instead will provide the basis for a nice panic.
[quote=Coldjensens;22004439]. They could have made the manufacturing process safe and continued to use aesbestos with no problems but it was more fun and more beneficial to lawyers and remediation people to create a panic. If they still made asbestos products in some other country and did not endanger workers doing it, I would buy flooring, and insulation without a second thought. quote]
Obviously you have never seen someone with Asbestosis die in front of you as I have.
. They could have made the manufacturing process safe and continued to use aesbestos with no problems but it was more fun and more beneficial to lawyers and remediation people to create a panic. If they still made asbestos products in some other country and did not endanger workers doing it, I would buy flooring, and insulation without a second thought. quote]
Obviously you have never seen someone with Asbestosis die in front of you as I have.
No. I understand it is horrible. There are a lot of horrible ways that people die. Some I have seen some I have not. However that has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not I woudl buy a good product if it is safely made without risk to the workers (which it can be) and poses not realistic health threat to me or my family (which it does not).
It is a horrible disease, but if you cannot get it from asbestos in your home, it is of no relevance that it is a horrible disease for some factory workers, miners, and mechanics who breathe heavy clouds of dust for years and years (which is how you get it, not from walking on a floor in your home). As I said, I would only buy it if they could make it without endagnering workers. It is actually very easy to make the manufacturing process safe. So if it does not endanger workers and does not pose a health threat in your home, why would you not buy it?
Mercury.
So many home thermostats and CFLs contain this.
This makes sense. I did not realize that they still use in in thermostats. However it is unlikely to get released form there. CFLs are very likely. I have broken several of them inadvertently. How much mercury is in them? How serious is the danger from tiny amounts of mercury?
Are you suggesting this as the next thing to actually pose a danger, or the nest subject of hype?
Mercury.
So many home thermostats and CFLs contain this.
I think we have more problems with mercury in our fish, not our light bulbs.
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Maybe they will come up with something better. 
