The U.S. bans most common form of asbestos, after decades of pushback from industry
The U.S. bans most common form of asbestos, after decades of pushback from industry
43 comments
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Me, realizing the US had not yet banned asbestos: 😕
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It was 98% banned. In fact this specific type, chrysotile asbestos, still has an exemption in Canada because of it's specialty uses like creating chemicals for water treatment plants.
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Have you got a source for that? The article is pretty clearly stating that previous attempts to ban it were unsuccessful. And this suggests there is no ban even though they allow small exceptions for the countries listed as having a ban.
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Wait, there are countries where that shit is still legal?!
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Yes, India, Philippines, China and Russia come to mind. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos_and_the_law
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Reminds me, we used wire gauze with asbestos during high school in the Philippines. "Fortunately", it was a public school with not a lot of resources so the use of lab equipment are very rare.
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Cue the GOP taking a pro-asbestos stance in 3, 2, 1...
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They already did. Trump reversed many asbestos regulations during his administration.
A Russian asbestos producer put the face of Trump as a mascot on their product because of his positive stance and deregulation of asbestos.
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It's not banned already?
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It was still allowed in certain forms if I recall correctly. It's only really dangerous when it's an airbirne particulate. So if you used it in a way that didn't turn it into dust, then it was considered "safe" to use.
Interestingly enough, carbon fiber has the exact same dangers since it's molecular shape is nearly identical to asbestos. So don't breathe that in, either.
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I can't decide whether "Asbestos industry lobbyist, 1970(ish)-2024" is like mesothelioma for one's resume or a sign to prospective future employers that they'll keep up the fight for the almighty dollar until the last dying gasp of their cause is extinguished. Either way, that's a bunch of carcinogenic old garbage heading for retirement.
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What will Asbestos Lady wear now??? Oh wait...
43 comments
This only goes to show how powerful lobbyists are in the US. If a known carcinogen can take this long to be banned, imagine how fucked we are if we're going to try to shift away from fossil fuels and such.
Reading the article, it actually does look pretty bad. Filter media containing asbestos, used to be make chlorine. Brake pads, that are made to wear away into dust, asbestos dust??
I agree with twinkle, technically it's all about the proper application, but my god. Probably shouldn't put it in brake pads, I know asbestos is a wonder material, but the whole issue is creating airborne dust.
Fossil fuels can't be banned overnight; I am pro-renewables, but we're just not there for freight/ag/rural/heavy industry. We can probably start getting enough city people on electric. The tech will continue to get better. Gotta walk before you can run.
Asbestos isn't widely used in brake pads any longer, California and a couple other states banned it a couple decades ago. The market demand of those states pretty much forced manufacturers to change without federal input. It looks like this bill is just making it official.
I don't really think using it as a reagent to make chlorine is very dangerous, so long as factory workers have access to proper PPE.
The largest concern I have as we move away from fossil fuels is the fact that we are super dependent on it for cheap fertilizers. Our current population exceeds the natural limitations imposed by the nitrogen cycle. As we stop fossil fuels production these fertilizers created mostly as a byproduct of refining fuel will go up in cost. Potentially moreso than poorer nations with large populations can afford to pay.
We still have to depart from fossil fuels, but I'm afraid of the consequences it will have on the global south.
The tech will get better if we were really interested in it. Remember, the automotive industry attempted to kill the EV in the 1990s and nearly succeeded. They only changed their tune when they realized they had to adapt or die.
Known carcinogens are used for a ton of things. The problem with asbestos is how hard it is to handle properly, and the consequences of getting it wrong.
Look at what it's being used for. It is impossible to be handled properly if you're using it in brake pads.