The 5 People Responsible for Mankind’s Most Toxic Inventions

Just like the men whose inventions caused their own deaths, those who conceived the biggest man-made threats to the natural world had no idea what they were doing when they began. Men like Thomas Edison and Karl Benz likely saw fame, money and possibly even the good of mankind as the benefits of their innovative creations. Unfortunately for all of us, their inventions have instead damaged the environment possibly beyond repair and have the potential to continue making things much, much worse. As in, end of the world worse. Here are five guys who thought they were making something way cool, but whose ideas have turned out to be some of mankind’s most destructive inventions of all time.

Plastic- Invented by Leo Baekland

Leo Baekeland invented Bakelite, the first truly synthetic plastic in 1905. A combination of formaldehyde and phenol, Bakelite set the stage for all of the plastics that were to come. In the first few decades of its existence, plastic was hailed almost as a miracle substance – ads touting the wonders of ‘fantastic plastic’ made it appear to be the path to a futuristic world. Certainly, the world has never been the same since. While it undoubtedly made life more convenient, it has also become one of the most polluting substances known to mankind. Plastics contain chemicals like dioxin and pthalates, which are known to be harmful to humans and the environment. One frightening fact about plastic is that nearly every single piece ever produced still exists today. Plastic bags and bottles litter the earth in staggering amounts that multiply daily. To get an idea of how bad the situation really is, check out “World of Waste: America’s Mass Consumption in Images” at Eco-Chick.

Diesel Fuel- Invented by Rudolf Diesel

German engineer Rudolf Diesel began working on what would be known as the diesel engine in 1892. Diesel first designed his engine to be run on hempseed oil and other vegetable oils, which would have been a far better choice for the environment but is not as cheap as the petroleum distillate now commonly known as diesel fuel, or petrodiesel. Diesel committed suicide in 1913 due to financial issues. Although he didn’t live to see his engine implemented in motor vehicles, the fuel that we know as diesel fuel today was named after his invention.

Unfortunately, diesel fuel has proven to be one of the top sources of pollution - specifically, the dirtiest and cheapest type of diesel fuel available, bunker oil. Bunker oil is used to power large ships, which are quickly causing U.S. ports to be the top sources of pollution in the world. Petrodiesel is also responsible for the lovely thick clouds of black smoke you see streaming from the tailpipes of large vehicles. Poor Rudolf Diesel would probably not be too proud of the destruction that his invention spawned in the world and it’s rather ironic that he killed himself by jumping into the ocean from a large ship (albeit a steam powered one).

The Motor Vehicle- Invented by Karl Benz

Karl Benz is credited with the invention of the modern automobile after building and selling the first four-wheeled vehicle in 1893. He also designed and patented the internal combustion flat engine, and the Benz Patent Motorwagon became the first commercially available automobile in 1888. As they say, the rest is history, and motor vehicles now cover the earth and spew forth pollution like a biblical plague. The problem with automobiles isn’t limited air pollution; it’s also the strain on energy resources and contaminants that are left behind such as antifreeze, grease, oil and metals. The environmental destruction left in the wake of the motor vehicle affects our water sources and the soil in which we grow our food. The motor vehicle is the single easiest way to turn one human being into a polluting machine.

The Power Plant- Invented by Thomas Edison

One of history’s greatest and most celebrated minds, Thomas Edison, invented the first power plant in 1882. His invention of the incandescent light bulb three years previously had paved the way for electric power, causing him to form the Edison Electric Illuminating Company to build power stations in New York City. Pearl Street Station began generating electricity on September 4th of 1882, and ran on a single steam powered generator.

As the years passed, coal became a more common source of power, and by the 1920’s pulverized coal was the norm. The use of coal as fuel for electric plants has a wide range of environmental implications, not the least of which starts with coal mining, which causes severe erosion and results in the leaching of toxic chemicals into nearby waterways. Of course, coal mining has been going on for centuries, but has greatly accelerated in the past century due to its use in coal-fired power plants. Two-thirds of sulfur dioxide, one-third of carbon dioxide and one-quarter of total nitrogen oxide emissions in the U.S. are produced by the burning of coal. Asthma, respiratory diseases, smog and acid rain are just a few of the coal industry’s lovely side effects.

The Atomic Bomb- Developed by Leó Szilárd

Though many credit Albert Einstein with this invention, the person responsible is in fact Leó Szilárd, a Hungarian-American scientist who developed the idea of the nuclear chain reaction and created the Manhattan Project. Szilárd did enlist the help of Einstein in writing a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt encouraging the creation of a nuclear defense program, but that was the extent of Einstein’s involvement. This was during World War II, when the Nazis were known to be working on similar technology. As the war went on, Szilárd came to resent the way the military seized control of his invention and became deeply bitter about the use of the atomic bomb against civilians after Truman bombed Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Though we haven’t yet experienced its full effects, the atomic bomb is perhaps the single biggest man-made threat to the environment. A small nuclear war would cause a global environmental catastrophe. A nuclear blast would create black smoke, firestorms and radioactive particles that would completely devastate the entire globe, and the immediate effects would create climate anomalies that would last at least 10 years. Nuclear weapons are far more dangerous to the earth than global warming, and as we speak, India and Pakistan are quietly ramping back up their nuclear programs. A nuclear war between India and Pakistan would kill millions and unleash catastrophic health and environmental problems.

Link [Neatorama} + [Eco-Chick] + [Wikipedia] + [LiveScience] + [The Indian]

Photo credit: Time Magazine, Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Commons, Wikimedia Commons

If We Said Sayonara to the Penny, the Earth Would Thank Us

If you’ve got pennies in your pocket and a way to melt down metal, you might want to go ahead and do that: the metal made to make them is worth more than the pennies themselves. One hundred pennies could get you $1.40 worth of zinc. Seems like a big waste of money, doesn’t it?

Furthermore, zinc mining is, as Eco Geek put it, “an environmental disaster”. From Eco Geek:

The demand for zinc, mostly due to growth in China, has skyrocketed, and wasting the metal on a coin that is, in general, a nuisance, is foolish economic and environmental policy.

Unfortunately, there’s no quick fix. Switching to the nickel as our cheapest unit is confusing, especially in places with uneven sales tax. Transactions would, according on a bill proposed by Representative Jim Kolbe (R - AR), be rounded to the nearest five cents. But people aren’t a big fan of paying more for a certain amount of stuff…even if it’s just cents.

If we did make the switch, it would only affect cash transactions; credit card purchases and interest payments would still be made to the penny. Many other countries have dropped their lowest coin without much trouble, but Americans would undoubtedly raise a ruckus about occasionally paying a few cents more than they would otherwise. This, regardless of the fact that most of our pennies are sitting in fountains, jars and between our couch cushions, and when we drop them, we rarely bother to pick them up. That’s America!

Link [Eco Geek]

Photo credit: Flickr user totalAldo

Video: It Looks Like You’ve Got a Case of The Humans

Looks like you’ve got a case of the Humans!

Greening Up War: A Round Table Discussion on Environmentally Friendly Killin’

The Onion nails it just right- if we’re going to torture, wage war, and ethnically cleanse, it should be in a environmentally friendly way.

H/T to the big guy Jordan for dropping this link on me.

Big Brother Says: The Planet is A-OK! Go Back to Your Regularly Scheduled Destruction!

If you’re a conspiracy theorist like (I must admit) I am, this sort of news probably makes you want to build that off-grid cabin in the woods sooner rather than later. Reuters reports that nearly 900 scientists have told the Union of Concerned Scientists about political interference in their environment-related work:

The nonprofit environmental organization said its investigation of EPA was in line with previous probes of other U.S. agencies which found “significant administration manipulation of federal science.”

“Our investigation found an agency in crisis,” said Francesca Grifo of the Union of Concerned Scientists, referring to the Environmental Protection Agency. “Distorting science to accommodate a narrow political agenda threatens our environment, our health and our democracy itself.”

Nearly 100 scientists said the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was the main offender.

One scientist wrote that the OMB and the White House decreased the stringency of proposed regulations for political reasons through hidden influence such as lobbying.

Naturally, the government denies it, saying scientific findings were “balanced with policy concerns.”

This stinks of historical revisionism. When is deception of the people ever okay? I’m waiting for the day the Thought Police start showing up at scientists’ laboratories and homes arresting them for distributing ‘propaganda’ that doesn’t fit in with the contemporary party line.

“War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength.” It’s all happening, people, and no, I’m not currently wearing a hat made out of tin foil.

Link [Reuters]

Photo: 1984comic.com

Harrison Ford ‘Deforests’ His Chest Hair for the Environment

Harrison Ford invited cameras along on an expedition, and it wasn’t the fun Indiana Jones kind: he was having his chest waxed. Considering that Harrison isn’t the type of guy you’d expect to see on television undergoing intensive man-grooming, naturally, there’s a good reason for all this. It’s all for the good of the environment!

Access Hollywood cameras taped Harrison as he endured the painful process, explaining that his aim was to “shock people into going green”. As vice chair of Conservation International, Harrison wants people to be more aware of the effects of deforestation.

From Conservation.org:

We believe that the Earth’s natural heritage must be maintained if future generations are to thrive spiritually, culturally, and economically. Our mission is to conserve the Earth’s living heritage - our global biodiversity - and to demonstrate that human societies are able to live harmoniously with nature.

In a culture where dim airhead celebrities flash their no-no parts at cameras for attention, it’s refreshing that a shock-value stunt actually has a good purpose.

Link [Ecorazzi] + [Conservation.org]
Photo: Access Hollywood

Ali G In The Tree, Ali G In The Tree

OK, these are oldies but goodies- Ali G does Green.

Stumbleupon Going Green for Earth Day: Turn Your Thumbs Up Into Trees!

If you’ve been thinking about checking out Stumbleupon but haven’t gotten around to it yet, do it now! On Earth Day, April 22nd, they’re teaming up with Tiki Barber (former New York Giants running back and current Today Show correspondent) to plant a tree for every thumbs-up you give.

If you’ve been living under a rock, perhaps, or just aren’t hip to what all the cool kids are doing on the internet, Stumbleupon is an awesome tool that basically learns your tastes and interests and helps you discover things that fit. It’s a browser tool bar that allows you to give a ‘thumbs up’ to sites you like (and write up reviews, if you’re so inclined) and a ‘thumbs down’ to those you don’t. When you hit the ‘Stumble!’ button, it brings you random web pages based on your likes and dislikes. It’s a great way to literally ‘stumble upon’ things you may never have otherwise seen.

Sign up and get started today if you want to participate on Earth Day, so you can set up your ‘home page’ and get the hang of stumbling. Take this chance to give lots of thumbs down to greenwashing sites, and thumbs up to the good ones (like, oh, I don’t know, US!)

This way, if you end up spending most of your day in front of a computer instead of out actually planting trees yourself, you won’t feel so guilty! A win-win all around.

Link [ecorazzi] + [Stumbeupon]

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Pollution is a Bitch: Flowers Losing Their Scent, Bees Losing Their Way

A rose by any other name smells as sweet as umm… well… not much.

A new study suggests that flowers are actually losing their aroma due to pollution from automobiles and power plants. Some are also guessing that this finding might explain why bees are dwindling in numbers in some areas of the world.

Researchers at the University of Virginia have been studying how the scents of flowers travel in the wind, finding that the scent molecules bond with pollutants such as ozone. The result: floral aromas are destroyed. Pollution is actually chemically altering flowers.

“The scent molecules produced by flowers in a less polluted environment, such as in the 1800s, could travel for roughly 1,000 to 1,200 meters [3,300 to 4,000 feet]; but in today’s polluted environment downwind of major cities, they may travel only 200 to 300 meters [650 to 980 feet],” said study team member Jose D. Fuentes.

This means more than a lack of au naturel floral scents for us humans to enjoy. It could also have potentially disastrous fallout in the natural world. Bees depend on scent while seeking flowers out. If they can’t find the flowers, they can’t pollinate them - and guess what that means? Not just a decline in bee population. Bees are significant pollinators of many agriculture crops and native plants. The effects of flowers losing their scent could mean problems with food sources the world over. Scary indeed - do you need any more reasons to cut your carbon emissions?!

This news seems to provide a grim window into a sci-fi future that could have come from the mind of a literary great: one in which food has lost its flavor, and nature has lost its color. Sure, 1984 is my favorite novel and I’m known for gloom-and-doom paranoia, but is it not getting more and more likely?

Link [LiveScience]

Photo: Flickr user zaphodsotherhead

Brilliant! Drought-Stricken Florida Gives Nestle Unlimited Water for $230

Ah, Florida. With a reputation already sullied by dirty election politics and bonehead decision making, this latest news is funny, sad and totally unsurprising all at once.

Boing Boing has it:

The State of Florida has given a Nestle bottling plant the right to pump as much water as it can get out Madison Blue Springs State Park, which is presently in drought conditions. The right lasts until 2018, and cost Nestle $230 in permit fees. Florida is presently in bitter dispute with its neighboring states over a region-wide water-shortage.

$230. Total. No taxes, no fees - plus the state gave Nestle an outrageously large tax refund for this bottling operation. With some predicting that water shortages will place this precious commodity’s value above oil in the not-so-distant future, Florida has proven that politics trump the needs of its citizens any day of the week.

One wonders whether the clowns in office just run around in circles playing human whack-a-mole on each other all day. Maybe that would explain the astounding dearth of brain cells in lawmakers’ skulls.

Link [Boing Boing]

Photo: Flickr user rexboggs5

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