Now take 4 years of an environmental technology program in which you cover EVERY problem regarding the polluting and destruction of our world, and you will almost cease to enjoy anything... because it is ALL BAD in some way.
Like today in my indoor air quality (IAQ) class. Learned that many of these so-called "air-purifiers" on the market and in YOUR HOMES (which have I already told you that IAQ is 5-10x more polluted than outside air..and the average american spends 95 percent of their time indoors..) are technically air-polluters, specifically OZONE. Ozone is a good and bad chemical, good in the upper atmosphere to keep out harmful UV rays, but terrible down here in our lower, immediate atmosphere. Hence why they give us alerts on certain days and recommend limiting outdoor activities. So what do you do: sit in your home and relax next to your air-purifier
p.s. - ozone can react with other chemicals like terpenes (fragrance chemicals in your household products that give that pine/citrus smell) to create other toxic chemicals like FORMALDEHYDE.
As you learn though over the duration of the ET course, these things come as no big surprise.
Another interesting article in class was about incense and candles being sources of pollution. Incense release particulate matter (duh) and apparently many candles (especially those cheap ones from the Dollar Trees and whatnot imported from China or Mexico) have a metal core containing LEAD. The kid presenting the article was very surprised that the US hasn't banned it yet. I figured he must just be starting out in this program (or maybe his parents burned too many candles when he was kid, thus resulting in lead poisoning, thus resulting in a little brain retardation. Lead poisoning in children is serious and really causes a lot of problems with brain development.. this article mentioned a family pursuing civil litigation due to lead poisoning from burning candles.), if he doesn't know how many products the US sells every year that has lead in it. All that make-up you smear around your face - heavily laden with lead and other metals.
And for those of you in love with the "new car smell" ... yes, that's right, it is also suspected to be harmful to humans. Its recommended that you air your new car out for months and months to lower the level of VOC's being emitted from your fancy dashboard material and carpet and seat fabric and whatnot. Have fun with your brandnew Hummer, I'm sticking with my bike.
Outdoor air quality (ambient air quality) is much more heavily regulated than indoor air quality, and apparently we only spend about 5% of our times outdoor.. walking that 100ft from your parking space to work or home or a shopping center.. its all the same.. its all dirty and contaminated.
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About the new car smell, some people like the smell of glue. Kind of like how people smell Sharpies even after knowing that it's bad for you. But agreed, fumes aren't for fun.
ReplyDeletei love the smell of sharpies and will perhaps sniff them until the day i die.
ReplyDeleterubber cement glue smells delicious.. elmer's, not so much.
point is, whether your sniffing cars, candles, glue, gas, sharpies, or whatever tickles your fancy nose,.. its all, in some way, bad for you.
in CA bakeries have to have two layers of doors to keep more of the smells in, because smells are VOC's, and VOC's plus NOx from car exhaust, equals OZONE. so in a sense, even if its the most dankest organic vegan gluten-free herbedup bread you've ever had, still bad for you.
along with all the special certifications we get as we graduate from our program, we also advance to the highest degree of cynicism and hopelessness (for those idealists amongst us, maybe only the second highest level)..