91–100 of 177 posts
Imagine the archeologists in the year 100,000, sorting through rock samples and going "oh look, there's the mask pollution from the great 2020 pandemic"
I think about this a lot, our footprint as seen by future anthropologists.
(silicone is not bio-degradable, right?)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You are spreading false information. Reusable masks do "work." Masks lose effectiveness over time and should be changed regularly, but it is not true that "correct" usage involves changing them "numerous times a day." There are two major factors that, as I understand it, drive the use of disposable masks in clinical settings. First is that healthcare workers see many sick people a day and they are worried about surfa…
No matter which of those two mask types are employed, a relevant May 2020 meta-study on pandemic influenza published by the CDC found that face masks had no effect, neither as personal protective equipment nor as a source control. "In pooled analysis, we found no significant reduction in influenza transmission with the use of face masks". "Disposable medical masks (also known as surgical masks) are loose-fitting devi…
That's probably quite important if you are trying to control pandemic influenza, but SARS-COV-2 isn't influenza. Different pathogens have different characteristics, and thus different responses to protective measures. AFAIK, most influenzas are much more prone to airborne transmission than SARS-COV-2, where the main concern is droplet transmission (though some airborne transmission seems to occur), against which masks that are ineffective against airborne transmission can be quite effective.
You wouldn't judge the value of condoms in preventing the spread of AIDS by studies of how effective they were in preventing the spread of the flu, either.
I lost all faith in humanity in 2020. I still can't believe people can be that stupid. We won't be able to safe ecology when people can't follow simple rules.
I live in a near-pristine area on the coast where people pay high prices to eat seafood dinners on a pier while they gaze at the sunset and let their plastic straws and oyster cracker foils blow into the ocean below them. I estimate conservatively that at least one piece of something plastic from every table winds up in the ocean.
Of the supposed total 5.25 Trillion pieces of plastic or 269,000 tons in the ocean[1], apparently 90% of that comes from 9 rivers, 7 in Asia and 2 in Africa[2]. And the rest of the world, essentially all of the Americas including the immensely plastic polluting central American rivers, Australia, and all of Europe only contribute 10% of ocean plastic pollution.
[1] https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/06/90-of-plastic-polluti...
[2] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/stemming-the-plas...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think about this a lot, our footprint as seen by future anthropologists.
"Why do you think people in the 20th century used to bury some women with bags of plastic on their chest? Surely some religious ritual but I found no mention of it." (silicone is not bio-degradable, right?)
So I'm guessing it's also not biodegradable.
Edit:
The 1,500-degree Fahrenheit heat of cremation will burn away all of the body's natural substances, leaving the bones to be ground up
Silicone implants remain behind as a goo, while metal implants, like hip replacements, remain completely intact
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3228354/Mortician...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You are spreading false information. Reusable masks do "work." Masks lose effectiveness over time and should be changed regularly, but it is not true that "correct" usage involves changing them "numerous times a day." There are two major factors that, as I understand it, drive the use of disposable masks in clinical settings. First is that healthcare workers see many sick people a day and they are worried about surfa…
No matter which of those two mask types are employed, a relevant May 2020 meta-study on pandemic influenza published by the CDC found that face masks had no effect, neither as personal protective equipment nor as a source control. "In pooled analysis, we found no significant reduction in influenza transmission with the use of face masks". "Disposable medical masks (also known as surgical masks) are loose-fitting devi…
I lost all faith in humanity in 2020. I still can't believe people can be that stupid. We won't be able to safe ecology when people can't follow simple rules.
Could you explain what rule it is you think people are too stupid to follow? Since you bring up safe ecology; do you think it is plausible that the source of those 1.5 Billion masks is the same 9 rivers that make up 90% of all plastic ocean pollution, 7 of them being Asia and 2 in Africa?
I see face masks everywhere, even in places where you have a trash can every 20-30 meters.
How hard is it to put the mask in the trash can or in your pocket? It takes no space in a pocket and you can put it in a plastic bag for an extra safety.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Simple reasons: - The cloth masks don't form a tight seal and leave two gaping holes on either side of my nose. - The cloth masks don't have as fine a filter mesh and aren't as effective at filtering tiny particles. That said, I don't go out that often, and my trips are limited in time, so I reuse a disposable N95/KN95 mask until I've worn it for as much as a total of 30-100 hours before I dispose of it. I also use r…
3M respirators with P100 filters have a comfortable silicone seal, aren’t very expensive, and actually prevent the wearer from infection. We settled on a public policy where we are only as safe as the worst mask an infected person is wearing. I would have preferred an alternative policy where people who don’t want to get sick simply wear an effective mask. I do encourage covering the exhale valve, though, just to be…
Maybe the takeaway we should try to get out of this is that, with so many people in the world, behavioral solutions -- like social distancing -- are overall superior to thing-based solutions (like masks). I tried to start a blog about this idea. I probably tried to start more than one. But with the hysteria in the air, I felt like I was going to attract a lynch mob for trying to critique the practice of turning to ma…
If you were to tell a child “there is a disease that is spread from our breath. What do you think a good solution would be?” I would be dollars to donuts that their answer would be “what about a mask?”
The answer is so obvious that even a child could come up with it. And it takes an adult to convince themselves otherwise. Even science says that masks are effective.
It’s surprising that after a year, people still haven’t figured out that reusable elastomer respirators with long life replaceable filter cartridges and >99% small particle filtration effectiveness are the best option from the perspectives of safety, overall cost and sustainability. I’ve been using the same pre pandemic 3M P100 industrial respirator with a retrofitted exhalation valve filter for months. It fits with…
It’s surprising that after a year, people still haven’t figured out that reusable elastomer respirators with long life replaceable filter cartridges and >99% small particle filtration effectiveness are the best option from the perspectives of safety, overall cost and sustainability. I’ve been using the same pre pandemic 3M P100 industrial respirator with a retrofitted exhalation valve filter for months. It fits with…
do you have the model number for this mask? why did you have to retrofit it?