3M May Escape Toxic Chemical, PFAS Manufacturing Legacy

It's disheartening if you do care about long-term issues, but perhaps these are all long-term issues.

In a way, I think people tend to fight for causes they are exposed to and think their voices are on the right side of History. I'm appalled that Belgians are out protesting for Gaza (which is also important) but don't care one iota for what 3M did to half the ground water of the country — and how Belgian politicians and the EPP looked the other way. We're being slowly poisoned over here, but it's the war over there, you have nothing to do with, that matters the most. Right.

We are facing the dismantling of social protections, climate change, corrupt governments, and so on, perhaps people pick the one issue that feels remote enough yet meaningful to fight for.

But someone has to care about Gaza as well, I suppose. It would be far more useful to their lives if people fought for local causes.

>I'm appalled that Belgians are out protesting for Gaza (which is also important) but don't care one iota for what 3M did

How could possibly determine this? Obviously no one has clearly stated this so I'm assuming it's due to lack of protest.

What it people aren't aware of the situation or its dangers?

Why leave off “or incomplete” when people can see it directly above what you misquoted? But sure, plenty of examples here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38779199. You can search on Google for Veritasium wrong (or misleading, incomplete, etc.) if you’d like more examples.

I wonder if the manufacture and subsequent planet-wide spread of novel chemicals before their impact on life is fully understood is a great filter...

We've had plastics for, essentially, 100 years. PFAs for a bit less than that. We still don't understand their full impact on the body/life.

I would encourage every single person reading this to have your water tested for PFAs.

Several years ago now an executive friend at WLGore, yes the very place that created it, gave me some information in passing. It was the kind of information in hearing from one someone you know that makes one pause for a moment in hearing it but then when one considers time against the statement it became less alarming in that moment. Now years of time have passed since that conversation occurred and the statements have manifested into reality.

I live literally down stream from WLGore and they have been dumping the toxins in the waterway for decades. Our local jurisdictions have been talking on PFAs for a few years now and in January of this year my time was up on my friends statement made years prior. I spent months doing research and in April I had our water tested. The EPA recommends 4 part per trillion is "safe" but in reality my conversation with medical professionals state NO amount of consumption is safe. My water test came back at 70 parts per trillion and I immediately purchased the special filtering needed to remove PFAs and installed it on our existing water filtering within days. I have also bought a whole house PFA filter that I intend to install in the coming weeks yet our water we drink, cook, and make ice with has been clean for months now as the post drinking system PFA filter test reflected No matter your wealth no one can purchase time, the only way to obtain more time is with your health.

Test your water because what you cannot see matters most!