how much are we responsible for?

[archenemy]

"I'm angry at my government for failing to regulate chemicals that are in mass production and in consumer products." Hammond says. "I don't think it should have to be up to me to worry about what's in my couch."

 

Really?

 

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/10/22/body.burden/index.html

 

 

[cj001f]

at some point the individual isn't capable of monitoring all that goes on in their life and must rely on some agent. Often that agent is called "government" because its proven itself more honest than "the market" (note relative term used)

[underworld]

how about going the other way and saying... damn those guys suck for making something that sucks. getting the word out and letting (uh oh...i 'm about to say it) the market fix it. word of mouth is wayyyy more successffull than getting the govt involved

 

 

 

for instance - people are pissed about dependance on oil. ok, not the best example since people are bitching that the govt should regulate it more...well they aren't regulating it as much as SOME would like. however, look at what all the car manufacturers are making and marketing.... HIGH MPG CARS! the market is fixing itself

[tvashtarkatena]

 

 

 

for instance - people are pissed about dependance on oil. ok, not the best example since people are bitching that the govt should regulate it more...well they aren't regulating it as much as SOME would like. however, look at what all the car manufacturers are making and marketing.... HIGH MPG CARS! the market is fixing itself

 

Average fleet mileage was higher in the early 90's than it is now. Our 'free market' solution has brought us 15+ years of the most accelerated greenhouse gas accumulation in history...and it didn't need to be that way.

[joblo7]

GOVERNMENT RULES! FREEDOM SUCKS!

 

[cj001f]

how about going the other way and saying... damn those guys suck for making something that sucks. getting the word out and letting (uh oh...i 'm about to say it) the market fix it. word of mouth is wayyyy more successffull than getting the govt involved

 

Exactly how many industry imposed consumer product regulations have been successful?

[dmuja]

[catbirdseat]

I'm reading a biography of Arlene Blum. In addition to being a climber, she was a chemist who worked with Bruce Ames on investigating the mutagenic properties of TRIS, a polybrominated compound used as a fire retardant in childrens pajamas.

 

Well, word was put out to recall TRIS treated pajamas. Ames and Blum went and bought samples, tested them, and found out that the manufacturers had NOT pulled them off the market.

 

So industry then substituted a new chemical based on substitution of chlorine for bromine (Fyrol). It was just as mutagenic as TRIS.

 

Do you know where all those contaminated clothing articles went? They were sold overseas.

 

Chemical Burns

 

A more detailed discussion.

 

All of this is a result of cigarettes. Cigarettes are made with nitrate added so they will continue to burn. Because of this, they tend to set sofas on fire. The need for fire retardants would be much less if it were not for cigarettes.

 

Edited October 23, 2007 by catbirdseat