How Dangerous Is Your Couch?

I don't know which article you're referencing, but we also had brain parasites found in a man who died about 50 miles from me in Indiana. We've basically been told to avoid freshwater lakes and rivers for now.

Re: How Dangerous Is Your Couch?

#5

Post by 001sky » Sat, Sep 08, 2012, 6:23 PM UTC

Of the 84,000 industrial chemicals registered for use in the United States, only about 200 have been evaluated for human safety by the Environmental Protection Agency

--Wait, what? What is the EPA doing, then for 42 years?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Environmental_Pro...

Re: How Dangerous Is Your Couch?

#6

Post by 001sky » Sat, Sep 08, 2012, 6:30 PM UTC

publicfig wrote: post #4

zafirk wrote: post #3

between this and the article about brain parasites in california, HN is scaring the crap out of me

I don't know which article you're referencing, but we also had brain parasites found in a man who died about 50 miles from me in Indiana. We've basically been told to avoid freshwater lakes and rivers for now.

Those freshwater incidents sound like protozoa (amoeba) infections with an high mortality rate ("Brain-eating amoeba suspected in Indiana death"). GP is referring to another hazard, also seems to be from nasty water. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4492244. Don't say you weren't warned though !

Re: How Dangerous Is Your Couch?

#7

Post by afterburner » Sat, Sep 08, 2012, 6:31 PM UTC

Memory-foam mattresses have the same problem apparently. I have one, and am looking into a dust mite bed casing (~$100) to prevent the chemicals from getting into the air...

http://lesstoxicstuff.com/2011/09/how-to-reduce-your-familys...

Re: How Dangerous Is Your Couch?

#8

Post by noahc » Sat, Sep 08, 2012, 6:33 PM UTC

publicfig wrote: post #4

zafirk wrote: post #3

between this and the article about brain parasites in california, HN is scaring the crap out of me

I don't know which article you're referencing, but we also had brain parasites found in a man who died about 50 miles from me in Indiana. We've basically been told to avoid freshwater lakes and rivers for now.

Minnesota also had a confirmed case about a month and half ago as well.

Re: How Dangerous Is Your Couch?

#9

Post by pmorici » Sat, Sep 08, 2012, 6:38 PM UTC

001sky wrote: post #5

Of the 84,000 industrial chemicals registered for use in the United States, only about 200 have been evaluated for human safety by the Environmental Protection Agency --Wait, what? What is the EPA doing, then for 42 years? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Environmental_Pro...

Protecting the interests of the chemical manufacturing industry?

Re: How Dangerous Is Your Couch?

#10

Post by simonsarris » Sat, Sep 08, 2012, 6:47 PM UTC

pmorici wrote: post #9

001sky wrote: post #5

Of the 84,000 industrial chemicals registered for use in the United States, only about 200 have been evaluated for human safety by the Environmental Protection Agency --Wait, what? What is the EPA doing, then for 42 years? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Environmental_Pro...

Protecting the interests of the chemical manufacturing industry?

I think this kind of cynicism without citation is a very unhealthy thing for any (online) community.

large edit: I should have said "cynicism without citation and qualification." Even if there's a citation I don't like how people reject people/places/institutions out of hand because they might do bad things or have bad qualities because it's often represented as a dichotomy.

For instance here, even if we grant that the EPA is susceptible to corporate influence, even if we as a society decide to go so far as to find them guilty of all the good they didn't do, it doesn't diminish the good that they did do and can still do, and too often these kinds of rejections/scoffs/cynicisms don't serve to add anything to the conversation of a community (such as HN) other than shut down more concrete or nuanced criticisms or discussions.

Sorry for being way off topic here.