The secret history of lead

[Votto]

The Secret History of Lead

This is a good read. It is the history of how lead was put in gasoline to help stop the "knocking" of car engines.

It is an indictment, not just of corporate America knowingly poisoning the environment, it is also an indictment of the media, education, the scientific community, and government officials who were complicit.

This can be comparable to global warming today. What is offered as a remedy, cap and trade, is no real remedy at all. If fully implemented, not much would change in regards to global warming, at least according to science.

It is interesting how mankind is willing to essentially destroy itself for a short term benefit. Is this simply our nature or is there hope for mankind?

 

[Agit8r]

It goes along with the erroneous belief in eternal life after we're done cannibalizing one another.

 

[irosie91]

The Secret History of Lead

This is a good read. It is the history of how lead was put in gasoline to help stop the "knocking" of car engines.

It is an indictment, not just of corporate America knowingly poisoning the environment, it is also an indictment of the media, education, the scientific community, and government officials who were complicit.

This can be comparable to global warming today. What is offered as a remedy, cap and trade, is no real remedy at all. If fully implemented, not much would change in regards to global warming, at least according to science.

It is interesting how mankind is willing to essentially destroy itself for a short term benefit. Is this simply our nature or is there hope for mankind?

ok what is THE HISTORY? Lead has been being PUT in all kinds of things for millennia. In glazes even on utensils used for food. In paint. ---even in make-up. there were lead lined cooking pots and water conduits. When did it become clear that lead is POISONOUS and sticks around in the environment FOREVER? I actually do not know----I have been EXPOSED to the issue of lead poisoning in childen since my REMOTE youth-----but am not clear as to when the connection between lead and anemia and brain damage HAPPENED. When I was young---it was a matter of lead paint upon which children NIBBLED------leaded gasoline was not an issue

 

[Agit8r]

"The first Thing I remember of this kind, was a general discourse in Boston when I was a Boy, of a Complaint from North Carolina against New England Rum, that it poison'd their People, giving them the Dry Bellyach, with a Loss of the Use of their Limbs. The Distilleries being examin'd on the Occasion, it was found that several of them used leaden Still-heads and Worms, and the Physicians were of the Opinion that the Mischief was occasion'd by that Use of Lead. The Legislature of the Massachusetts thereupon pass'd an Act prohibiting under severe Penalties the Use of such Still-heads & Worms thereafter"
-- Benjamin Franklin; from letter to Benjamin Vaughan (July 31, 1786)

Apparently they hadn't read Pliny the Elder before that.

 

[irosie91]

thanks ----the citation does not open for me

 

[whitehall]

Yeah but lead has been outlawed in gas for decades. Doesn't the system work? Now we have fermented corn additive called "ethanol" which increases fossil fuel emissions just by it's production. Nobody wants the stuff and it actually reduces horse power which adds to fossil fuel emissions to compensate for the lack of horse power.

 

[Votto]

The Secret History of Lead

This is a good read. It is the history of how lead was put in gasoline to help stop the "knocking" of car engines.

It is an indictment, not just of corporate America knowingly poisoning the environment, it is also an indictment of the media, education, the scientific community, and government officials who were complicit.

This can be comparable to global warming today. What is offered as a remedy, cap and trade, is no real remedy at all. If fully implemented, not much would change in regards to global warming, at least according to science.

It is interesting how mankind is willing to essentially destroy itself for a short term benefit. Is this simply our nature or is there hope for mankind?

ok what is THE HISTORY? Lead has been being PUT in all kinds of things for millennia. In glazes even on utensils used for food. In paint. ---even in make-up. there were lead lined cooking pots and water conduits. When did it become clear that lead is POISONOUS and sticks around in the environment FOREVER? I actually do not know----I have been EXPOSED to the issue of lead poisoning in childen since my REMOTE youth-----but am not clear as to when the connection between lead and anemia and brain damage HAPPENED. When I was young---it was a matter of lead paint upon which children NIBBLED------leaded gasoline was not an issue

Are you questioning whether lead is a neurotoxin or you are questioning how much lead is dangerous?

 

[Votto]

Yeah but lead has been outlawed in gas for decades. Doesn't the system work? Now we have fermented corn additive called "ethanol" which increases fossil fuel emissions just by it's production. Nobody wants the stuff and it actually reduces horse power which adds to fossil fuel emissions to compensate for the lack of horse power.

As the article indicates, the use of lead is continuing in other parts of the world.

In addition, even though lead levels have dropped dramatically from what they were when used in gasoline in the US, the lead levels are still well above the normal range.

 

[irosie91]

The Secret History of Lead

This is a good read. It is the history of how lead was put in gasoline to help stop the "knocking" of car engines.

It is an indictment, not just of corporate America knowingly poisoning the environment, it is also an indictment of the media, education, the scientific community, and government officials who were complicit.

This can be comparable to global warming today. What is offered as a remedy, cap and trade, is no real remedy at all. If fully implemented, not much would change in regards to global warming, at least according to science.

It is interesting how mankind is willing to essentially destroy itself for a short term benefit. Is this simply our nature or is there hope for mankind?

ok what is THE HISTORY? Lead has been being PUT in all kinds of things for millennia. In glazes even on utensils used for food. In paint. ---even in make-up. there were lead lined cooking pots and water conduits. When did it become clear that lead is POISONOUS and sticks around in the environment FOREVER? I actually do not know----I have been EXPOSED to the issue of lead poisoning in childen since my REMOTE youth-----but am not clear as to when the connection between lead and anemia and brain damage HAPPENED. When I was young---it was a matter of lead paint upon which children NIBBLED------leaded gasoline was not an issue

Are you questioning whether lead is a neurotoxin or you are questioning how much lead is dangerous?

I am questioning just when it became KNOWN--------it was certainly known for a long time------I dealt with the issue---peripherally-----way back in the 60s with regard to children nibbling paint My point is----when did we become aware of leaded gas causing a danger to the environment?