Thread: IS your house killing you? Did anyone see it

It's always worth taking anything 'health' related in the media with a rather large pinch of salt.

Have a read of www.badscience.net

Looks like a bit of a beat up:

The intention is good here, given the importance of boosting our awareness of toxicity among household products, but as a television show it could do without the cheap dramatic tricks. It is a reality series that follows seven families' attempts, with alarmed experts, to detox their homes.
Tonight's first episode is about the Hatfields, who suffer from allergies they suspect are caused by toxins in their home. But here's the thing: Dad is a severe asthmatic and it makes sense his offspring would suffer from the same condition. Mum and the kids are in tears because unshaven, dishevelled Dad is depressed and their home is poisoned. Then we're told Dad, a commercial painter, has been using solvents and other nasties for years in his workshop beneath the house. Well, d'oh! No wonder they're all crook.
The alarmed experts tear up the place to rid it of toxins, including mould. The family's recovery, which shows smiling, freshly shaved Dad surrounded by his smiling, grateful family, is suitably predictable.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv-review...300754359.html

Needless to say, it doesn't look like you've missed much.

The interesting point in the episode was the fact that when he finished painting he took his mask off. The aerosol solvents had not dissapated even though his door was open. He also took no precautions against skin absorbtion. Hmmm never done that myself

Pusser

Solvents are nasty little buggers. We used a lot in the shop, cleaning parts, tranny cases, valve bodies, cleaning paint guns, etc. I used to clean parts without any protection at all, you know, its such a pain to put on the gloves when it would only take a second or two to clean this part off, blah, blah.

After a while I got to where contact with the solvents would cause intense pain, it was the oddest thing, it was almost like a chemical burn. It would hurt like a bleep for a few seconds then it would go away.


I hate to think of all the toxins I absorbed. Some of those solvents will be absorbed into the bloodstream and hitting your kidneys within 30 seconds or so of contact, our skin gives almost no protection against them.

The moral of this story is use protection. I do now, it catches up with you quicker than you think if you don't. This applies to everything as well, hearing, eyesight, etc, wear your protective gear.

That said, most of what is on the news, TV, radio, it may all be true, but they present it in a very misleading and dishonest way, and they do so intentionally. News is a business anymore though, so you have to expect that. Its sad, but I don't trust anything on the news that I can't verify myself. I might watch it, I might listen to it, but I know there is a lot of scaremongering and bs going on. Its a pity I say, when the news has lost the publics trust.


Here's an interesting website concerning a household toxin. You might want to check it out.

http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

Pretty nasty stuff isn't it?

Yep. If it smells chemically, it'll be poisoning you.

Matt, that used to be part of my sig....

That dihydrogen Monoxide is dangerous stuff

Originally Posted by Gra

Matt, that used to be part of my sig....

That dihydrogen Monoxide is dangerous stuff

I like this one:

Originally Posted by Master Splinter

It's always worth taking anything 'health' related in the media with a rather large pinch of salt.

Have a read of www.badscience.net

I don't know where you are comming from with this comment. Dosen't sound like you have seen the Documentary. Your comment is not only extremely generalistic but blind cause you obviously havn't seen the film.

I agree to an extent that the media is very poor in informing people about thier health or information that empowers people with cold hard and real truth that could ultimatley empower them to be anything other than blind consumers but it's not always the fact. This documentary stands up very well to scientific scrutiny and common sense. There are ways we can make our homes safer places to live and this film empowers people to understand those present dangers and take positive action to change that. There is no doubt that that will ultimatley make childrens and adults lives more healthier. I didn't say healthy as we as a toxic consumer based humanity have a really long, long way to go.

We all should be asking ourselves why the cancer rate is so common and high statistically, higher than it has ever been. This relates directly to our immediate environments and the environments within our bodies that we create with our diets, thoughts and the polluted air we breathe. Not often do people stop to think about this. I applaud the telivision networks for showing this kind of film if for nothing else. It may be old but it is never too late to change our outlook.

It is a fact there are many bad science's, one of the worst is the chemical revolution that was started by the military industry complex at the end of the WWII since then a mega chemical industry has dominated manufacture, agriculture and so many aspects of our lives and planet. Begging the question: Are we better off for this? The statistics and results would return a strong NO. Quite obviously in 65 years we have raised the cancer rate tenfold and now have a planet where soil is biologically dead in non organic farms. There is no water ways on the planet that are not polluted, some are so caustic such as in china your skin would peel off if you were to take a swim. We are clearing precious rain forrests at a unequaled rate never seen before.

If you get an oportunity to see this film and others that deliver similar information that can help humanity make informed decisions in a healthy and sustainable direction I strongly suggest seing them or reading about them and making up your own mind before discounting them as whatever your mind can find to deny thier confronting nature that will destroy many peoples belief systems in a matter of minutes, that is if they are open to seing and realising thier mistakes.

Thank God for People Like David Suzuki

SpiritFlutes

Master Splinter is likely to have forgotten by now since the post is over two years old. FWIW, I thought Matt88s' post was spot on.

Originally Posted by Groggy

Master Splinter is likely to have forgotten by now since the post is over two years old. FWIW, I thought Matt88s' post was spot on.

OK, just felt a conviction to share my 2 cents worth. I totally agree with Matt88s too. No doubt my words will make a difference somewhere and to someone. I know it's not the main purpose of this great forum to speak about being conscious of our environment but it has to be spoken about not ignored. Crusify me or congratulate me I really don't mind, my concern is for the future or our planet and the future generations of humanity. It's about understanding why we should look at healthier choices in more ways than one that is the point I hoped to deliver. The responsibility lies with us. We either change or be changed. Something to ponder.

SpiritFlutes

I agree with the comments about the media. They are not doing anyone any favours by over dramatising everything for the sake of ratings. It inures people to the real problems, a modern day 'cry wolf' situation. A lot of what they portray is patently false, causing people to ignore the real issues.

Giving negative comments about the media should not be mistaken for a lack of concern for the environment.

Originally Posted by Groggy

I agree with the comments about the media. They are not doing anyone any favours by over dramatising everything for the sake of ratings. It inures people to the real problems, a modern day 'cry wolf' situation. A lot of what they portray is patently false, causing people to ignore the real issues.

Giving negative comments about the media should not be mistaken for a lack of concern for the environment.

IMO thats absolutley correct. And I see media and the environment as seperate issues just to make that clear. Appologies if me saying my feelings made you draw that conclusion that that was my belief. Certainly not!

Our commercial media is complete and absolute rubish, so is just about everything portrayed on TV with the exception of a few films like the one mentioned in this thread. I have long since lived without a TV. The internet is a great thing for creating a community while we all live in theis seperationist society, it allows freedom of speech and alternative news to be spread at the click of a button. Helping us to be informed earthlings. Sadly it may not be too much longer before it is a highly censored internet and they'll have great excuses as usual why you should give up your constitutional rights. And it'll be here we go again. Another story for the history books of how we all sheepishly gave in to the fear mongering.

On a totally seperate issue have a look at this, did you know about this?

http://www.counterpunch.org/darkside...n08212009.html

Anone care to make a comment? Dont suppose you heard this story on the news or will.

SpiritFlutes

"I don't know where you are comming from with this comment. Dosen't sound like you have seen the Documentary. Your comment is not only extremely generalistic but blind cause you obviously havn't seen the film. "

The documentary was done with the usual amount of accuracy found in a TV lifestyle entertainment program - which is to say that there were enough scary words to worry the crystal/aura/chakra/feng shui brigade - basically, there was nothing particularly rigorous in its content.


"We all should be asking ourselves why the cancer rate is so common and high statistically, higher than it has ever been. "

This is generally a corollary of improved detection rates and a longer lifespan - people aren't dying as young as they used to, therefore other causes of death are becoming more prominent.


"It is a fact there are many bad science's, one of the worst is the chemical revolution that was started by the military industry complex at the end of the WWII since then a mega chemical industry has dominated manufacture, agriculture and so many aspects of our lives and planet. Begging the question: Are we better off for this? The statistics and results would return a strong NO."

I think that the billion (no exaggeration) or so people saved from starvation by the efforts of one single agronomist would say YES. See - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Borlaug

"Quite obviously in 65 years we have raised the cancer rate tenfold"

That's funny - after a high in the 70 - 90's as detection methods improved, I could have sworn that the rate has been falling:

http://progressreport.cancer.gov/trends-glance.asp

You should probably tell the US National Institute of Health that they are wrong - they'd appreciate your expertise in the matter!

Originally Posted by SpiritFlutes

On a totally seperate issue have a look at this, did you know about this?

http://www.counterpunch.org/darkside...n08212009.html

Anone care to make a comment? Dont suppose you heard this story on the news or will.

SpiritFlutes

I'll comment....

Ohhh, the Lunar Heavy Impactor - yes, I can see why some people might be concerned by this - to quote from that article:

"There should be a discussion, not only by the public, but also by oceans, weather patterns, plants, and all sorts of other living things"

I'm not sure what else concerns those people, but let me know when they get an answer from the Pacific Ocean or when the Arctic Oscillation says 'Hi!".

Personally, I think they should have a bit more concern for reality - specifically, how they relate to it!

But on to the serious business of a lump of man made junk hitting the moon at 40km/second...here's what you can do:

Go outside on a night when the moon is in the sky.

• Point telescope at the moon.
• Look at craters on the moon.
• Wonder what caused these craters.
• Hint - the craters have nothing whatsoever to do with fermenting cheese (despite google's earlier campaign to convince people otherwise).

It is just possible (stay with me here...I know this is stretching the imagination) - that these craters are what are known as impact craters; ie, they were caused when lumps of solar system junk (comet bits, meteors, leftover planetoid rubble, spaceships of little green men) thwacked into the moon.

Now, from the number and size of craters on the moon, you'd say that the moon has been hit by a truly astronomical (ha ha) number of 'things' over the last 3.9 billion years, at speeds up to 1,000km/second.

Therefore, you'd rightly assume that hitting the moon yet again - but in a controlled manner so you could watch the event closely - would have, to a first approximation, absolutely no effect whatsoever.

Mind you, I wouldn't want to be standing where it hit - it's expected to make a 20 meter diameter crater.

I particularly liked this bit from the article:

"Collectively, we can sabotage the bombing by imagining all manner of things going wrong, or encouraging the Moon to increase her own magnetic shields. Sing to her. Give her back just a tiny portion of all that she has done for us. We are all created from Moon dust."

Truth be told, the moon is thought to have been created by a Mars sized object walloping into the earth, so the moon is created from Earth dust.

To go one step further, the stuff that the Earth is made out of (with the exception of hydrogen and helium) comes from the remains of supernovas from the first generation of stars in the universe - so you can accurately say that we are all star stuff (or just as accurately - that we are all nuclear waste from some very, very big fusion mishaps).

Must go now - have to sing to the Moon to increase her magnetic shield!