this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2024
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Science Memes

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Magic Mineral (mander.xyz)
submitted 3 weeks ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

What if there's an earthquake, or a tornado, or a flood?

Entire neighborhoods of carcinogens would be released into the environment.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Unless said hurricane, tornado, or flood grinds the material into a fine powder then you go around the neighbourhood snorting it -- then if bound properly, it is just as safe (or dangerous) as fibreglass insulation.

I'm not saying fill everyone's attics with powdered asbestos or something.

We use dangerous products all the time. For example, mercury in florescent lighting. But we regulate and generally speaking things are quite safe. But for whatever reason, as soon as anyone hears the word asbestos they freak out and no amount of explanations regarding safe handling will suffice.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

Well, hurricanes and tornadoes and floods DO grind materials into dust, which can then turn aerosol.

So maybe we just, ya know, don't use it in construction at all.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 weeks ago

Show my a neighbourhood pulverized into fine dust by any of the above -- even the concrete. The physics doesn't make any sense. The closest thing we have to this is wartime bombing, and then asbestos is likely your least worry. Anyway, you're entrenched.