Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’ • Hacker News Board

Re: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’

#11

Post by tourmalinetaco » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 3:55 PM UTC

phpisthebest wrote: post #10

cptcobalt wrote: post #8

It's high time for a big awareness campaign for things like this: cleaning up our water should be an immediately funded government project. Needs a interactive map with historical data, sort of like https://app.electricitymaps.com/map does for historic grid energy cleanliness. Surely, clean water—something we all need—should be an apolitical bipartisan issue, right? ...right?

Like with many things the goal may be bipartisan, but how to get there will not be Republicans will reject any funding methods that add to the national debt, or taxes businesses Democrats will reject any funding methods the come with strings attached to reduce or pull funding from other programs, or that does not excessively and punitively tax business and "the rich" So with such an impasse nothing will get done

What would be more productive, then, would be awareness campaigns for filters that can be bought and used at home to reduce said chemicals and ideally dispose of them in ecologically safe ways.

Re: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’

#12

Post by robbywashere_ » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 3:57 PM UTC

cptcobalt wrote: post #8

It's high time for a big awareness campaign for things like this: cleaning up our water should be an immediately funded government project. Needs a interactive map with historical data, sort of like https://app.electricitymaps.com/map does for historic grid energy cleanliness. Surely, clean water—something we all need—should be an apolitical bipartisan issue, right? ...right?

Ironically there seems to be no shortage of fluoride conspiracy theories or “waters turning the frogs gay” but actual chemicals and toxins … ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Re: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’

#13

Post by tedivm » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 3:58 PM UTC

phpisthebest wrote: post #10

cptcobalt wrote: post #8

It's high time for a big awareness campaign for things like this: cleaning up our water should be an immediately funded government project. Needs a interactive map with historical data, sort of like https://app.electricitymaps.com/map does for historic grid energy cleanliness. Surely, clean water—something we all need—should be an apolitical bipartisan issue, right? ...right?

Like with many things the goal may be bipartisan, but how to get there will not be Republicans will reject any funding methods that add to the national debt, or taxes businesses Democrats will reject any funding methods the come with strings attached to reduce or pull funding from other programs, or that does not excessively and punitively tax business and "the rich" So with such an impasse nothing will get done

> or that does not excessively and punitively tax business and "the rich"

Your bias is showing a bit there.

Re: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’

#14

Post by runjake » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 3:59 PM UTC

Spoiler: PFAS usually (but not exclusively) around large population clusters.

The Pacific Northwest of the US, aside from Portland, is looking pretty good, though.

Re: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’

#15

Post by tourmalinetaco » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 3:59 PM UTC

blawson wrote: post #6

Does this mean the whole easter seaboard, should consider bottled water instead of tap?

Bottled water is typically tap water filled with microplastics, so that’d be worse for you.

Re: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’

#16

Post by phpisthebest » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 4:00 PM UTC

tourmalinetaco wrote: post #11

phpisthebest wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like with many things the goal may be bipartisan, but how to get there will not be Republicans will reject any funding methods that add to the national debt, or taxes businesses Democrats will reject any funding methods the come with strings attached to reduce or pull funding from other programs, or that does not excessively and punitively tax business and "the rich" So with such an impasse nothing will get done

What would be more productive, then, would be awareness campaigns for filters that can be bought and used at home to reduce said chemicals and ideally dispose of them in ecologically safe ways.

At the end of the day I do not believe this is a national matter in the first place, No where in the Constitution does congress have the authority to regulate drinking water in the first place, outside the bastardization of the commerce clause

So it should be left up to state regulators to set what they feel are the best for their states.

EPA could play a role in ensuring One state does not pollute another state, but there are and should be limits on what is a "federal issue" even if people today seem to think everything should be under the umbrella of the federal government.

Re: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’

#17

Post by phpisthebest » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 4:01 PM UTC

tedivm wrote: post #13

phpisthebest wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like with many things the goal may be bipartisan, but how to get there will not be Republicans will reject any funding methods that add to the national debt, or taxes businesses Democrats will reject any funding methods the come with strings attached to reduce or pull funding from other programs, or that does not excessively and punitively tax business and "the rich" So with such an impasse nothing will get done

> or that does not excessively and punitively tax business and "the rich" Your bias is showing a bit there.

My bias is Anti-government. The best government is the smallest government, and I believe in strict interpretation of Article 1 Sec 8 powers.

That said, where am I wrong, for the last several decades all the Democrats do is talk about how the Rich do not pay their "fair share" never defining what a fair share is.. and how we always need to tax them more...

I have also seen it Move from "millionaires and billionaires" to just billionaires as many of the Democrats in congress entered the millionaire club

Re: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’

#18

Post by e1g » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 4:01 PM UTC

tourmalinetaco wrote: post #11

phpisthebest wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like with many things the goal may be bipartisan, but how to get there will not be Republicans will reject any funding methods that add to the national debt, or taxes businesses Democrats will reject any funding methods the come with strings attached to reduce or pull funding from other programs, or that does not excessively and punitively tax business and "the rich" So with such an impasse nothing will get done

What would be more productive, then, would be awareness campaigns for filters that can be bought and used at home to reduce said chemicals and ideally dispose of them in ecologically safe ways.

If those filters are to be subsidized, we're back at the impasse of "how is this funded?". If the filters are not subsidized, whoever approves the campaign will get kicked out for making the disadvantaged drink dirty water and serving the rich who own the filter manufacturers.

/s, I think, but I'm not sure.

Re: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’

#19

Post by jwineinger » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 4:07 PM UTC

superkuh wrote: post #2

And not just the tap water. Eating a fish meal out of the Mississippi in Minnesota (by 3M) will give you a month's worth of PFOS if you were just drinking contaminated tap water. It's a real shame because the Mississippi mercury levels were finally down enough to eat fish.

Do you have a source on that? Asking as a Minnesotan

Re: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’

#20

Post by jorvi » Thu, Jul 06, 2023, 4:14 PM UTC

phpisthebest wrote: post #17

tedivm wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> or that does not excessively and punitively tax business and "the rich" Your bias is showing a bit there.

My bias is Anti-government. The best government is the smallest government, and I believe in strict interpretation of Article 1 Sec 8 powers. That said, where am I wrong, for the last several decades all the Democrats do is talk about how the Rich do not pay their "fair share" never defining what a fair share is.. and how we always need to tax them more... I have also seen it Move from "millionaires and billionaires"…

> The best government is the smallest government

Yes you can clearly see that by the highest quality of life being in countries like The Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Singapore.. all countries known for their small government bent.

> and how we always need to tax them more...

Because the wealth gap has been growing ever larger

> I have also seen it Move from "millionaires and billionaires" to just billionaires as many of the Democrats in congress entered the millionaire club

Or perhaps they’ve realized a lawyer that earns 300k a year still is working class?

It’s laughable how the same, folds-like-a-lawnchair arguments always keep being trotted out, as if they haven’t been proven wrong a million times over.