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posted by chromas on Monday October 29 2018, @05:32PM   Printer-friendly
from the if-it-walk-like-a-duck dept.

More Evidence Identifies China as The Source of Mysterious Ozone-Destroying Emissions

For years, a mystery puzzled environmental scientists. The world had banned the use of many ozone-depleting compounds in 2010. So why were global emission levels [DOI: 10.1038/s41586-018-0106-2] [DX] still so high?

The picture started to clear up in June. That's when The New York Times published an investigation into the issue. China, the paper claimed, was to blame for these mystery emissions. Now it turns out the paper was probably right to point a finger.

In a paper [open, DOI: 10.1029/2018GL079500] [DX] published recently in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, an international team of researchers confirms that eastern China is the source of at least half of the 40,000 tonnes of carbon tetrachloride emissions currently entering the atmosphere each year. They figured this out using a combination of ground-based and airborne atmospheric concentration data from near the Korean peninsula.

Previously: Someone, Somewhere, is Making a Banned Chemical that Destroys the Ozone Layer
Illegal Chinese Refrigerator Factories Are Selling Banned CFCs


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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by Sulla on Monday October 29 2018, @05:40PM (9 children)

    by Sulla (5173) on Monday October 29 2018, @05:40PM (#755221) Journal

    This article was better left unpublished. We should not be discussing these things. Takyon should be ashamed!

    Sulla social credit score +10
    Takyon social credit rating -100

    --
    Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
    • (Score: 2) by ikanreed on Monday October 29 2018, @06:31PM (8 children)

      by ikanreed (3164) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 29 2018, @06:31PM (#755249) Journal

      Man, who'd have guessed lax environmental protections and totalitarian social controls go together?

      • (Score: 1, Troll) by Sulla on Monday October 29 2018, @06:54PM (7 children)

        by Sulla (5173) on Monday October 29 2018, @06:54PM (#755269) Journal

        A wave of research studies that began in the 1990s is focusing on the possible connection between the Nazi movement and today's green movement. In 1935, two years after the Nazis rose to power, the German government passed a Reich law for the protection of the natural environment, a law whose scope was unprecedented at the time and whose goal was to protect and care for the homeland's natural environment. The law included regulations for the protection of flora and fauna, as well as for the conservation of unique natural phenomena of scientific importance and of aesthetic and cultural value. These natural phenomena included Germany's celebrated forests, which were considered a central component of the German national identity.

        The law also established procedures for the definition of nature reserves and authorized the state to expropriate land for the sake of such reserves without providing any compensation to the owners of the land. Violators of this law were given stiff penalties. In addition, attempts were made to formulate laws for the prevention of air pollution. The Reich's green laws - although this might sound sarcastic - forbade the slaughtering of animals that had not been previously anaesthetized and fixed limits on experiments on animals. Within the context of the Reich's laws for the protection of the natural environment, organic agriculture, which encouraged the use of manual plowshares in small farms instead of heavy machinery, was advanced.

        https://www.haaretz.com/jewish/of-nazis-and-other-nature-lovers-1.5236743 [haaretz.com]
        If you disagree with the source, you're and anti-Semite

        --
        Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
        • (Score: 5, Insightful) by edIII on Monday October 29 2018, @07:40PM (5 children)

          by edIII (791) on Monday October 29 2018, @07:40PM (#755301)

          Ahhhh, so now the Climate Change supporters are Nazi's? Man, some of you deniers are just plain fucking nuts. First, it's the science is corrupt (which is partially true), now it's that the people behind it are pushing a fucking Nazi agenda from the early 1930's? I can believe that some of it is related to people trying to control other people, but to completely deny what is happening with our environment is downright fucking stupid. Trying to add conspiracy theories to it ensure that will we NEVER believe each other again, nor we will ever be united, is also ensuring our destruction. Which is genuinely sad. Humans are entirely undeserving of this planet, and if God does exist, I pray for the next flood.

          On another note, may I have some of what you are smoking? It seems strong as fuck :)

          --
          Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
          • (Score: 2, Informative) by Sulla on Monday October 29 2018, @07:51PM (2 children)

            by Sulla (5173) on Monday October 29 2018, @07:51PM (#755308) Journal

            All the above post was intended to do was show that reducing environmental policies has nothing to do with a government being fascist, as fascists governments can also be pro-environment. I realized that the most likely response I would get was someone calling me a Nazi, so I used an Israeli link as support because then calling me a Nazi for trusting Israelis would be pointless.

            To me there is no connection between environmentalism and fascism in either direction. Because saying there is is just as stupid as saying there isn't.

            --
            Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
            • (Score: 2) by edIII on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:09AM

              by edIII (791) on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:09AM (#755455)

              Fascism -

              n. A system of government marked by centralization of authority under a dictator, stringent socioeconomic controls, suppression of the opposition through terror and censorship, and typically a policy of belligerent nationalism and racism.

              Environmentalism -

              n. Advocacy for or work toward protecting the natural environment from destruction or pollution.

              Sulla -

              To me there is no connection between environmentalism and fascism in either direction. Because saying there is is just as stupid as saying there isn't. (bold for emphasis)

              How is just as stupid to state no connection between the two, as it is to state there is a connection between the two? That statement makes no sense. One does not necessarily imply the other. Those stringent socioeconomic controls will be to the benefit of the corrupt few at the top, that dictators reward for their political support, not necessarily environmental benefits. Would environmental regulations act as controls that could be abused with totalitarian agendas? Sure. That still does not make environmental regulations intrinsically Fascist. That will entirely depend upon the dictator and the feasibility of enacting such controls, which could raise costs for those he/she needs political support from. So basically, unless Hitler engages in a Final Solution campaign against the "titans of industry", or strong-arms the shit out of them, he would have just as hard of a time today pushing environmental regulations. Again, why? How does controlling the environment, in a way to support and nurture it, further the goals of a Fascist government and those in power? Why is it so obvious that Fascism leads to Environmentalism?

              Which brings us to dictator Trump. He's not an environmentalist, while clearly he is a belligerent, racist, nationalist, if not outright Fascist. If there were an actual connection between tyranny, Fascism, and environmentalism, then why has Trump disarmed, and all the but shut down, the EPA?

              --
              Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @10:56AM

              by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @10:56AM (#755564)

              I used an Israeli link as support because then calling me a Nazi for trusting Israelis would be pointless.

              Except that today Israel is pretty much a Nazi state. They basically took Mein Kampf and implemented it. Except their "free land in the East" was Palestine.

          • (Score: -1) by fakefuck39 on Monday October 29 2018, @08:52PM

            by fakefuck39 (6620) on Monday October 29 2018, @08:52PM (#755346)

            damn you are one dumb motherfucker

          • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday October 29 2018, @10:00PM

            by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 29 2018, @10:00PM (#755373) Journal

            ...also ensuring our destruction

            To quote an esteemed mad genius resident on S/N, you say it like it's a bad thing.

            (grin)

            --
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:34AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:34AM (#755439)

          Ah. This is also proof that vegetarians are Literal Hitler!

          I'm certain no fallacies have been committed in reaching these conclusions!

          But wait... I sense a problem! Hitler persecuted the homosexuals and the Communist Party, which was working with the Communist International (a.k.a. Third International) at that time. Therefore, persecution of homosexuals and derivatives of the of the Third International, such as the Fourth International (a.k.a. wswswswswsws), is also Literal Hitler!!!

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Monday October 29 2018, @06:12PM (33 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 29 2018, @06:12PM (#755235) Journal

    Europe and the US/Canada has environmental protections. Those protections cost money. Manufacturing was off-shored to various places in Africa, India, China, and the rest of Asia. No protections, meaning, the manufacturers can do whatever the hell they want.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by edIII on Monday October 29 2018, @07:49PM (32 children)

      by edIII (791) on Monday October 29 2018, @07:49PM (#755306)

      Yep. That's why we should've raised up and revolted in this country back in the mid 70's. Outlawed outsourcing by simple trade tariffs. Not designed to punish, but to remove any and all economic advantage of outsourcing production. It will cost local business the *exact* same costs for outsourced products, that it does for prevailing costs of local products. Destroy the NRLB, and put sane tariffs in place to encourage local production and consumption of resources. However, it might be too late. All of that industrial knowledge and skills we possessed are now gone.

      The only things we should be importing are those things that we cannot create ourselves, or the luxury products like salami, cheeses, wines, etc. NOT STEEL. Globalism is a fucking disease of the rich that never benefits the Middle Class or poor. Never. It must be fought tooth and nail as if our very lives depended on it... because they do.

      Otherwise, we have a world where all the fucking pollution is coming from China, which indirectly comes from us, and now we are all weak and poor as fuck, and *barely* able to afford those products anymore.

      The avaricious are truly bound for the lowest, darkest, and hottest levels of Hell.

      --
      Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
      • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday October 29 2018, @08:08PM (14 children)

        by JoeMerchant (3937) on Monday October 29 2018, @08:08PM (#755321)

        Outlawed outsourcing by simple trade tariffs.

        There is nothing simple about a trade tariff, or outlawing something like outsourcing - particularly when you're a piddly local jurisdiction attempting to wrangle legions of multi-billion dollar multinational corporations.

        You can incentivize hiring local, which is almost as good, and much harder to circumvent (and lobby holes into) than tariffs.

        --
        🌻🌻 [google.com]
        • (Score: 2) by edIII on Monday October 29 2018, @08:53PM (13 children)

          by edIII (791) on Monday October 29 2018, @08:53PM (#755348)

          Then you need to make simple tariffs, at the top level (Federal), and if necessary, we need an Article 5 convention to put those tariffs into a Constitutional Amendment.

          The tariff really is simple. You don't leave it static. It is whatever it *needs* to be to eliminate the monetary benefit of choosing cheap 3rd world countries where the costs are a fraction of the U.S. If they bring in a widget, you check what a widget costs from the local manufacturers, take the lowest value, and make that the lowest possible cost of the widget. The difference between that cost and the foreign costs becomes the tariff. A whatchmacallit might have a different rate, but they're all dynamic rates.

          Make the whole purpose of the law to eliminate those benefits. One way or the other, that company is going to pay those costs and cannot escape them.

          It's either that are we outlaw outsourcing entirely. No tariffs required, because they are no imports.

          --
          Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @09:34PM (9 children)

            by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @09:34PM (#755361)

            > Then you need to make simple tariffs

            You don't understand the power of lobbying, do you? Trump's tariffs have been "adjusted" all over the map already by powerful lobbies that want to protect their current "good thing".

            • (Score: 3, Insightful) by edIII on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:22AM (8 children)

              by edIII (791) on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:22AM (#755436)

              Translation: I don't understand the power of corruption.

              Bull-fucking-shit, I don't. I'm saying what we need to do to help the Middle Class. However, the only advocates for the Middle Class, or Lobbyists, ARE OUR FUCKING SENATORS IN THE FIRST PLACE. So the people who should be representing the interests of THE PEOPLE, end up representing the interests of those with $ONEY.

              If the Middle Class, and average blue-collar worker were fairly represented, there is no chance in fucking hell we would all agree to kill ourselves by competing with 3rd world shitholes that have sweat shops, child labor, warlords, etc. You can't compete with those places for price, it is simply not possible.

              That's what tariffs are really all about. Making the American Worker no longer in competition with foreign ones. It's not a fucking competition, it's our fucking lives. Of course we're going to lose child labor, of course we're going to lose to sweat shops, of course we're going to lose to China the way they treat their workers.

              Take away all competition forcefully, and you will see America start to heal again, with factory UNION jobs coming back to U.S soil. The strongest we ever were in this country was when UNIONS WERE STRONG. We were winning, until the rich and corrupt, just as you said, used lobbyists to corrupt our government and allow them to escape the unions.

              --
              Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:50AM (7 children)

                by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:50AM (#755443)

                Wolf-PAC [wolf-pac.com]?

                • (Score: 2) by edIII on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:30AM (6 children)

                  by edIII (791) on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:30AM (#755462)

                  Neat. I'm all for an Article V Convention. Since it truly is bipartisan, most people here should be too. At 75%, that's a high threshold ensuring bipartisan amendments.

                  Thanks for sharing.

                  --
                  Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
                  • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:54PM (5 children)

                    by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:54PM (#755611) Journal

                    Neat. I'm all for an Article V Convention. Since it truly is bipartisan, most people here should be too. At 75%, that's a high threshold ensuring bipartisan amendments.

                    What would be the point of the exercise? Said corruption is not due to widespread constitutional flaws (at best, you can point to one or two election process improvements) and the convention would be subject to the same corrupt processes as the current government.

                    • (Score: 2) by edIII on Tuesday October 30 2018, @09:13PM (4 children)

                      by edIII (791) on Tuesday October 30 2018, @09:13PM (#755799)

                      The point would be the attempt to take back our lives, and to organize as a people once again. Your point is not lost on me either. Trump and has shitbags are discussing abrogating the 14th right now. Graham is backing it with legislation, but the Orange Anus is boasting that "they're telling me I can do it with an executive order". They're talking about getting around a Constitutional Amendment as it if it nothing.

                      We need to do something though, and I think you can agree, that an Article V convention is a more productive use of our time than divisive civil war.

                      Finally, I'm not convinced the convention would suffer from the same corrupt processes. It has never be done before (IIRC), and the sheer level of involvement of the people ensures whatever they do will be watched and scrutinized. If the corruption is too apparent, than all hope in the system may evaporate.... and at that point..... I dunno. If it failed, I would openly advocate for civil war. Our government would have failed us utterly, and completely, and not deserve to live one second longer.

                      --
                      Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
                      • (Score: 1) by khallow on Wednesday October 31 2018, @01:00AM (3 children)

                        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday October 31 2018, @01:00AM (#755882) Journal

                        The point would be the attempt to take back our lives, and to organize as a people once again.

                        The point here is that it's baking in failure. If things are that corrupt, then any constitutional convention is easily subverted by the same powers. You have to deal with the corruption or you can't progress via open ended constitutional modification.

                        And that brings us to the second problem, namely that there isn't much to gain by constitutional convention. It's the wrong tool.

                        We need to do something though, and I think you can agree, that an Article V convention is a more productive use of our time than divisive civil war.

                        At that point, I'm not seeing it. Even if things went exactly as desired, it's a case of passing laws demanding parties obey the law. If they're already completely ignoring existing constitutional law, then they'll ignore this as well.

                        • (Score: 2) by edIII on Wednesday October 31 2018, @01:20AM (2 children)

                          by edIII (791) on Wednesday October 31 2018, @01:20AM (#755889)

                          Then, pray tell, what is your solution to getting rid of the corruption? The status-quo doesn't fucking work anymore. I spent 20 years of my life not really paying attention to my country, and it died. I'm not being hyperbolic, it DIED. If things are truly as corrupt as you say they are, than you cannot disagree that true American principles of freedom and representation did in fact die.

                          If these people ignore the Constitution, then ignored an Article V convention to amend it, then they are not properly representing the country. We could impeach, but if they don't act like representatives anymore, why would they listen or even start the process? Especially amongst themselves.

                          I'm sorry, but if things are as bad as you say they are, then outright revolution is appropriate and needed. It's a valid tool for removing corruption so entrenched that more civilized and ostensibly legal processes are simply unable to mitigate. However, not everybody is ready for civil war this very second like I am. There is a growing group of people very dedicated to the idea you dismiss as naive. 5 states out of 34. Those people are still dedicated to making it happen, and organizing. That's unarguably better than 10's of the thousands of people prepping for civil war, mailing bombs, etc.

                          When civilized processes fail, when morals and integrity fails, you are left with violence and civil war. If all of those people are supporting organized change, and bipartisan change at that, then I will support them. Quite frankly, I think they deserve yours too. Your voice should be heard with everyone else's when we discuss these new amendments.

                          All of that better than violence, and I know you don't support that.

                          --
                          Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
                          • (Score: 2) by Pav on Wednesday October 31 2018, @04:33AM

                            by Pav (114) on Wednesday October 31 2018, @04:33AM (#755929)

                            I don't think anyone knows the solution... but I know what the solution isn't - inaction.

                                There's a lot of interesting things being tried at the moment. Political action, both inside and outside major parties (and this is not just in the USA). Also economic heretics are being widely listened to such as Steve Keen and Yanis Varoufakis... I believe Steve Keen even advises the UK central bank these days. Voices within the IMF are even coming out against the neoliberal order. I'd advise listening to someone who doesn't get enough airtime (probably because he speaks a rarified breed of academic language) : Roberto Mangabiera Unger although this primer [youtube.com] is a much more concise and intelligible intoduction to his ideas. I read his prescription for "radical innovation" in the economy as a blending of Free Software methods into places outside the I.T world... maybe some kind of open-source-developed worker-owned-Coop/franchise model.

                                I do think the Free Software world has some important lessons (both positive and negative) for the wider world. There certainly is people-power there, and it has attracted tech-media buyouts, perception management, unaccountable foundations and free riders.

                          • (Score: 1) by khallow on Friday November 09 2018, @06:04AM

                            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday November 09 2018, @06:04AM (#759738) Journal
                            Sorry about the late reply.

                            Then, pray tell, what is your solution to getting rid of the corruption? The status-quo doesn't fucking work anymore. I spent 20 years of my life not really paying attention to my country, and it died. I'm not being hyperbolic, it DIED. If things are truly as corrupt as you say they are, than you cannot disagree that true American principles of freedom and representation did in fact die.

                            Cool story bro, but the problem is that you changed not the country. Corruption will always be with us because we always have conflicts of interest between what is good for us and what is a net good collectively.

                            If these people ignore the Constitution, then ignored an Article V convention to amend it, then they are not properly representing the country. We could impeach, but if they don't act like representatives anymore, why would they listen or even start the process? Especially amongst themselves.

                            Obviously, the solution is to pass a "this-time-I-mean-it" law, amirite? My point here is that you aren't fixing anything.

                            I'm sorry, but if things are as bad as you say they are, then outright revolution is appropriate and needed. It's a valid tool for removing corruption so entrenched that more civilized and ostensibly legal processes are simply unable to mitigate. However, not everybody is ready for civil war this very second like I am. There is a growing group of people very dedicated to the idea you dismiss as naive. 5 states out of 34. Those people are still dedicated to making it happen, and organizing. That's unarguably better than 10's of the thousands of people prepping for civil war, mailing bombs, etc.

                            And what would be the point of the revolution? My view is that this is insane. What is the point of giving government more power to do this sort of thing?

                            The only economic problem the US really had over the past half century was that developing world labor hooked up to the global trade networks. That's it. The rest is self-inflicted - causing more problems to address some minor effect of that globalism (or of the destructive "fixes"). That includes a good portion of the corruption and the budding police state. If instead, 300 million people had manned up and sacrificed a bit for their future, it'd be a different story.

          • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:58AM

            by JoeMerchant (3937) on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:58AM (#755472)

            simple tariffs

            Let me repeat: there is no such thing as simple tariffs - tariffs are penalties, taxes, things to be ducked and avoided by all means possible, legal, illegal, and infinitely creative. Those who impose tariffs invite the taxed to make fools of them.

            On the flip side: incentives are sought by people and given by the authorities. One may attempt to defraud the authorities to obtain incentives not deserved, but if the rules of incentive are simple enough, that should be easily audited and corrected when abused. When one offers incentives, those incentivized seek them out and willingly provide information about and insight into the acts being incentivised, obfuscation and subterfuge are ineffective at cheating incentives.

            The tariff really is simple. You don't leave it static. It is whatever it *needs* to be to eliminate the monetary benefit of choosing cheap 3rd world countries where the costs are a fraction of the U.S. If they bring in a widget, you check...

            Nothing about that is simple. If you turn this dynamic, easily defrauded adjustable rate scheme on its head as an incentive, then you put the onus of researching and documenting the appropriate incentive rates onto those seeking the incentive, instead of attempting to use the tariff income to finance a department of (easily fooled, defrauded and bribed) auditors. If you, as a domestic businessman feel that you should be incentivized to compete with country X making widget Y, then you show how your costs of materials and labor are necessarily higher domestically and how much the government should pay you for making widget Y using domestically sourced materials and labor. If you make a good case, then you get the incentive and should be able to market widget Y at a competitive price with those produced in X - much like food production is subsidized in the US today.

            A version of this already goes on with minority and female owned businesses bidding for government contracts, how about instead of just directing benefits at token minority figurehead company owners we start directing the benefits toward businesses who demonstrate (prove) that they are paying competitive wages to their workers and direct these benefits toward those workers? Why not? Look at the U.S.' currently elected leadership and tell me if "benefits to the workers" seems remotely plausible as an actual delivered legislative change.

            --
            🌻🌻 [google.com]
          • (Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday October 30 2018, @02:02AM

            by JoeMerchant (3937) on Tuesday October 30 2018, @02:02AM (#755474)

            we outlaw outsourcing entirely. No tariffs required, because they are no imports.

            Better shut off the internet while you're at it. That same job I worked in Texas while living in Florida I could have as easily worked from anyplace with strong enough internet to support a Skype call. That was strong six figures of "exported money" in exchange for delivered services, and if I felt like it I could have relocated to Mexico where that money would have supported a much richer lifestyle.

            --
            🌻🌻 [google.com]
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @11:05AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @11:05AM (#755566)

            No, you make trade agreements that force other countries to protect the environment. Seems a lot simpler than your "simple tariff". What "simple tariff" does is make everyone poorer for no reason whatsoever.

            Anyway, it's quite idiotic for America to push tariffs after becoming the defacto world reserve currency. The idiot-in-chief doesn't understand how America is becoming a loser as soon as others start to turn away from the dollar. The only friend America has remaining is inertia. Sooner rather than later China (or Euro if it gets its act together) will replace USD and America will become the has-been Russia - large military and nothing else.

      • (Score: -1) by fakefuck39 on Monday October 29 2018, @09:05PM (14 children)

        by fakefuck39 (6620) on Monday October 29 2018, @09:05PM (#755354)

        who the fuck are you idiot? I haven't seen you before. do you know what comparative advantage is? you know, from highschool econ. you want americans doing what cheap unskilled chinese labor does? yes, steel factory workers are unskilled labor.

        do you know how pollution works? it doesn't go from china to here. yes, the cfcs they release do damage. all the other polution stays there, which is why they have shitty air and water quality. yes, it absolutely benefits us to move unskilled labor over there freeing us up to do smarter things (like services) . yes, it absolutely helps us to cause pollution in china and use their cheap products over here w/ the polution.

        and no, they're not taking our money by providing us cheap shit. their gdp is half of ours, and their dgp per capita is less than a southern nigger collects from unemployment.

        god fucking damn, I usually remember retards who post stupid shit over and over. are you new on here or something?

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @11:17PM (13 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @11:17PM (#755414)

          You're so dumb it makes me sad. You should study less highschool econ and more science. Do you realize that there is only 1 atmosphere on this planet, the one and same whether you're in China or US of fucking A. Have you ever heard about climate change buddy? Do you get TV in your cave? Makes me wonder if you're even serious or just a Russian troll paid to act like a hemorrhoid...

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:55AM (3 children)

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:55AM (#755446)

            Gotta be some reason he's still posting even though he posts at -1.

            Though can't we eliminate Russian troll since wouldn't a Russian troll move to another account as soon as their account started posting at 0, not keep going after it was posting at -1?

            I guess that leaves dumbass on the table as a possibility.

            • (Score: -1) by fakefuck39 on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:22AM (2 children)

              by fakefuck39 (6620) on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:22AM (#755458)

              my parents are originally from moscow, and I'm 90% fluent in Russian, so I guess you're right tupoy mudak. "-1"? you have your internet content censored by random people on the internet? literally everyone I know reads at -1, starting w/.in the late 90s. you're on the wrong site buddy. reddit is what you're looking for. here we wave loser hippies who preach peace of mind but can't hold a job, older nerds with managed autism, and a few like me who are mid-life corporate professionals. magic internet points are not relevant to any of those groups. reddit man. go back there - you're annoying and not very entertaining.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @02:29AM (1 child)

                by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @02:29AM (#755481)

                *sort* lol

                An amusing dumbass at least. But that's cool you're almost fluent in Russian. One thing I regret in life was not learning Dutch from my great-grandma. Great-great-grandma came over to America on the boat. Great-grandma was fluent of course. Grandma was 90% fluent. Mom knew a few words. Me, I wound up studying German nearly to fluency instead because my high school offered it. Was a slacker class to most tho, but I like studying languages and wish I had more time to devote to it. I'd love to learn an African language some time.

                • (Score: -1) by fakefuck39 on Tuesday October 30 2018, @04:14AM

                  by fakefuck39 (6620) on Tuesday October 30 2018, @04:14AM (#755505)

                  I have no idea what your first line means - I'm guessing a grammar error. I am "almost" fluent in French too, having lived there for 4 years. I am far from fluent in Korean, Ukrainian, and Spanish. I understand Polish and Romanian but don't speak them. My wife speaks 4. I have also been to ~80 countries, and lived in many. I started in Biochem, switched to Physics with a minor in Calc, and did a year in college for a sound engineer, then another year for computer graphics at one of those "nationally-accredited" expensive ripoff schools you see ads on TV for. The Dutch are a pleasant people who sound like they are talking with food in their mouth. German girls have just the right amount of slutty before approaching euro-trash, I was banging one in Bavaria for a while. Berlin is full of neo-faggots. German is a harsh ugly language that seems to make everything sound like hate speech. If you like Dutch and also like niggers, Afrikaans should be easy for you to pick up. There is a catchy band from Leningrad that sounds a lot like Die Antwoord. You should do the skibbidi challenge. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDFBTdToRmw [youtube.com]

                  My family didn't come over on a boat. We took a large plane. Parents being Chem PhDs helps with the means to take a large plane. If you like boats, you should talk to the Mighty Buzztard - he is also into boats. Any other bright off-topic things to say that avoid replying to the content? To a battle of wits, you come unarmed. That's alright - just keep calling people dumbass. 5th grade seems to be where your level of education and insults achieved their lifetime apex.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:46AM (8 children)

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:46AM (#755465)
            I took "science" and not econ, both in school and in college, so let me clear some things up.  90% of pollution produced in China would not in any way reach the US - it is simply too far.  Pollution is heavy, it does not go high up in a jetstream and traverse vast oceans.  Things that break down Ozone do go up and destroy ozone - mostly over the poles.  Again - not over the US.

            One of the things you learn in "science" is how big the earth is.  You're complaining that someone in a different state farts and it smells in your house.  No, we don't really have "1 atmosphere" when it comes to pollution.  We have many localized bodies of air, where the heavy pollution particles are generated and settle in the immediate area.  It's why you don't want a coal plant near your house, but the one in the neighboring state is fine.

            Dumping stuff into the water does travel over oceans to detectable levels.  Not to levels that actually do anything, but detectable with precision equipment.  Your body is not precision equipment.

            Global warming - that's not caused by pollution.  Another things we learned in "science" - in the 5th grade, which you should really give another try before going for your GED.  Pollution is not greenhouse gasses.  Actual pollution reduces global warming by blocking sunlight.  Literally thousands of reputable studies - one of the more prominent ones done on airplane exhaust particles on 9/11.

            To quote someone - "knowledge is power" - get some.  You seem like one of those anti-vaxxer people who read headlines on the puffington post and your facebook and youtube feed, and repeat them.  You seem to be some kind of a hipster who reads physics books that don't have any math in them and pretends he knows things.  Please stop talking - this is annoying to the adults in the room.

            As far as the politics, it would take someone really dumb to think a paid Russian troll is posting to soylent.  Someone like you.  Someone who does not know how to spell "high school" so he takes a typo from the comment to which he is replying and repeats the misspelling.  Someone who does not speak English well.  Again, 5th grade seems to be where you stopped with the schoolbooks and started with sensationalist headlines with sources for bored soccermoms for your education.
            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @02:59AM (5 children)

              by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @02:59AM (#755486)

              > You're complaining that someone in a different state farts and it smells in your house. No, we don't really have "1 atmosphere" when it comes to pollution. We have many localized bodies of air, where the heavy pollution particles are generated and settle in the immediate area. It's why you don't want a coal plant near your house, but the one in the neighboring state is fine.

              Not so fast -- https://www.csmonitor.com/1984/0621/062135.html [csmonitor.com]

              From 1984 (seriously, not a reference to Orwell's book):

              In the absence of a national policy to control acid rain in the United States , the New England governors are considering battling Midwest polluters in court. At the annual conference of the New England Governors and the Eastern Canadian Premiers here Monday, Gov. Richard A. Snelling (R) of Vermont said, ''In the absence of a federal law, we can seek damages in court.''

              The chiefs of state say forests and lakes in the Northeast are being choked by acid rain. They claim that air pollution, produced primarily by the smokestack industries of the Midwest, is being deposited across the Northeast when it rains.

              I remember when this was a big deal, in NY state our crushed-limestone driveway used to bubble when it rained.

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @03:59AM (4 children)

                by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @03:59AM (#755504)

                The Christian Science Monitor. Seriously - why are you on this site? This is literally not the forum for you. This is a tiny community. If you are thinking to agitate or piss off people, all you are going to do here is have a small handfull of people laugh at you. Very small. Would your idiot trolling not be more appropriate somewhere where you have an audience >20?

                I didn't click the link or read your post.

                • (Score: 2, Informative) by khallow on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:07PM

                  by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:07PM (#755612) Journal

                  The Christian Science Monitor. Seriously - why are you on this site?

                  I don't know about the present, but the CSM has long had a reputation for accurate and remarkably unbiased journalism. It has nothing beyond the name to do with the Christian Science religion.

                • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @02:04PM

                  by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @02:04PM (#755623)

                  Just went looking for an older reference on acid rain and found that one from The Christian Science Monitor. There are plenty more, but as noted, this paper was highly respected for straight reporting back in the '80s.

                  Anyway, the point was that coal burning plants in the midwest USA were causing acid rain in the North East and it was to the point that it was damaging forests and many other things. Pollution is not as localized as the earlier poster claimed.

                  Oh, and I'm not new here, I'm logged in with a user number in the 3 digits, but normally post as AC.

                • (Score: 2) by hendrikboom on Tuesday October 30 2018, @05:04PM (1 child)

                  by hendrikboom (1125) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 30 2018, @05:04PM (#755708) Homepage Journal

                  The Christian Science Monitor is an excellent newspaper for objective news. The Christian Science stuff is restricted to one regular article which is clearly labeled as such.

                  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 31 2018, @08:18AM

                    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 31 2018, @08:18AM (#755954)

                    Yes, idiots who read the CSM think it's an excellent newspaper for objective news. The Christian religion is an excellent guideline for your saving your soul. "How to rape little boys" is an excellent newspaper. Forget the title - they only have one article on what lube to use on the pink asshole of the little one - the rest is objective science on how CFCs cause global warming.

                    Now the rest of us who read and study actual science - the science with "math and shit" - do not get our science from the CSM. This is why we know that most pollution does not cause global warming and comprehend the basic concept of a particle in the atmosphere blocking sunlight from reaching the earth causing a reduction in temperature. The most famous of such studies was as noted when all the planes were grounded on 9/11, and there was a clear finding that pollution from airplanes reduces global warming. Now back to raping little boys - do you have any sons and where do they practice baseball (asking for a friend)?

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @10:31AM (1 child)

              by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @10:31AM (#755558)

              Do... do you truly not understand, generally, how CFCs interact with the atmosphere and environment?

              • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 31 2018, @08:07AM

                by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 31 2018, @08:07AM (#755953)

                Do you... Truly not understand English?

                Idiot: "Have you ever heard about climate change buddy?"
                Me: "Things that break down Ozone do go up and destroy ozone - mostly over the poles. Again - not over the US."

                Do you... Truly not understand that CFCs don't cause global warming and the pollution actually reduces it because particles block and reflect sunlight?

      • (Score: 2) by legont on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:51AM

        by legont (4179) on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:51AM (#755445)

        Steel... which reminds me that our common little evil Russia does not dump cheap steel on the US market (which it could easily do) but instead invests and rebuilds American steel industry. Here is an example https://nlmk.com/en/about/map-of-assets/nlmk-pennsylvania/ [nlmk.com]

        Another big Russian company Severstal (Nordsteel) bought the infamous Sparrow Point but the US government forced it out and eventually run the best US steel factory into bankruptcy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sparrows_Point,_Maryland [wikipedia.org]

        I visited Baltimore this summer; it's sad.

        --
        "Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
      • (Score: 2) by Rivenaleem on Tuesday October 30 2018, @11:57AM

        by Rivenaleem (3400) on Tuesday October 30 2018, @11:57AM (#755592)

        You can get all your salami, cheese and wine from the EU where we have very good environmental protection laws.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Freeman on Monday October 29 2018, @06:27PM (25 children)

    by Freeman (732) on Monday October 29 2018, @06:27PM (#755246) Journal

    Every time I read / hear someone raging against the USA's political machine and the USA's corporations that are killing the planet, I think about articles like this. Yes, the USA needs to take care of the environment and not restrict their citizens' fundamental rights. That doesn't mean the USA is the worst offender in either of those categories. The USA was founded with the freedom of its' citizens in the forefront. That's not a bad thing. In fact, the freedoms of various groups, that weren't explicitly written into the constitution have been fought over and won. What's more, is Texas, that hive of scum and villainy (Oil), is leading the nation in production of renewable energy. "The report noted that Texas generated more wind and solar energy than any other state, nearly all of which came from wind." https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/solar-wind-renewable-energy-record/ [nationalgeographic.com]

    We do need to be vigilant, but can we at least stop spouting self-hatred of our nation?

    --
    Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
    • (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @06:53PM (3 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @06:53PM (#755268)

      I wonder how much is self-hatred vs foreign influence.

      • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday October 29 2018, @07:40PM (2 children)

        by Freeman (732) on Monday October 29 2018, @07:40PM (#755299) Journal

        At some point foreign influence is self-propagating. Which makes things like "Fake News" (factually incorrect statements and/or propaganda from other countries targeting US citizens to promote their ideologies) on Facebook and the like very detrimental to our society. Netflix has to include a certain ratio of French films in order to do business in France, for that very reason. So the people of France don't become carbon copy clones of USA Citizens. Though, I can only assume, a person that only speaks french, would find subtitled English films to be an onerous task in the vast majority of films. I know I like watching quite a number of subtitled foreign films, but there's definitely something lost in the translation at times. Especially, when the words aren't the problem.

        --
        Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @08:35PM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @08:35PM (#755337)

          Yeah, I realize this as it becomes a fad. I've been on the internet since it was a government only thing - before it was called the internet, and also with BBSes and have noticed very sharp shifts in public opinion out of seemingly nowhere and have long wondered about this. Could be an eternal September thing, who knows? Would make a good archeology/history study someday.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @03:27AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @03:27AM (#755498)

            I'd agree with Eternal September, which I count as the transition from the Second Age to the Third Age. Opinions would shift as democratization increases during the early Third age, but as corporations begin to exert influence in the late Third Age, opinions shift again. We're starting to see the transition to the Fourth Age when deplatforming will be common on the clearnet, causing another shift in apparent public opinion. The defining characteristic of the Third Age is a parallel to the pattern of capitalism: an initial, flourishing democratization followed by stagnation into oligarchy. The defining characteristic of the Fourth Age is the split of the free internet to darknets.

            Democratization will be absent during the Fourth Age. The clearnet will be tightly controlled by corporations (an end run around to the First Amendment in the USA), and the free internet will only be accessible to those who have the skill to do so, possibly at personal risk. During this time, it will be up to those of us who have that skill (and bravery) to facilitate communication among the working class (viz. the "deplorables" including left-wing views and the "alt-right").

    • (Score: 4, Informative) by shortscreen on Monday October 29 2018, @07:25PM (5 children)

      by shortscreen (2252) on Monday October 29 2018, @07:25PM (#755290) Journal

      The US is not the worst offender in some categories, in other ones it is the worst. People who live in the US and pay taxes in the US may be more concerned about bad things that are being perpetrated in or by the US.

      Addressing one's own faults is more likely to accomplish something than is ignoring them while pointing at others, who are likely to respond by doing the same.

      • (Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday October 29 2018, @07:46PM (4 children)

        by Freeman (732) on Monday October 29 2018, @07:46PM (#755303) Journal

        While pointing fingers won't necessarily help. Totally ignoring what other countries are doing won't help either. Raging against our own corporate entities won't help, if we're already doing quite a good job when compared to the rest of the world. It won't matter a whole lot globally, if the United States is the only nation that has strict environmental laws. It may mitigate a large number of things on our own soil, but anything that involves world climate will be just slightly less horrible.

        --
        Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @11:34PM (3 children)

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @11:34PM (#755422)

          But you're not doing a good job! USA is #2 largest greenhouse gas emitter of the 200 or so countries... And if you look at the emissions per capita USA is doing MUCH worse than e.g. China. Stats for example here. [wikipedia.org]

          China also produces twice the amount and share of total renewable electricity than USA. Stats for example here. [wikipedia.org]

          I mean it's good to be proud of your own achievements but at the same time you must not be blind to the same of others...

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:29PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:29PM (#755606)

            Greenhouse gas?
            Do you mean the most important greenhouse gas, water? Because I think you'll find that the Amazon river is the largest emission of water by a single country. Of course, that is not in vapor form and even if it was it would be dwarfed by the water vapor coming off the oceans.

          • (Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:21PM (1 child)

            by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:21PM (#755618) Journal

            But you're not doing a good job! USA is #2 largest greenhouse gas emitter of the 200 or so countries...

            What's bad about that job? The US doesn't emit a relatively high per capita greenhouse gases because it hates Mother Earth, but because it is doing valuable activities which happen to emit greenhouse gases in the course of the activity.

            I find it remarkable how would-be environmentalists can ignore the vast improvement in US pollution over the past half century and obsess over greenhouse gases. But then again, what would they do if these problems were actually considered fixed? Find a real problem?

            • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @03:59PM

              by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @03:59PM (#755685)

              Well with Trump and Pruitt removing all the hard won protections id say there is good reason to worry.

    • (Score: 5, Insightful) by bzipitidoo on Monday October 29 2018, @07:31PM (14 children)

      by bzipitidoo (4388) on Monday October 29 2018, @07:31PM (#755293) Journal

      Placing a stupid and hateful troll in the White House is the worst act of national self-hatred I've ever seen. If, that is, that's what the voters really chose. There are a lot of questions about possible Russian interference that are still largely uninvestigated. It's weird how all sorts of rules that used to matter, such as the emoluments clause, now no longer matter.

      I understand many voters hoped to shake things up, hoped the ultimate result would be a better nation, and didn't trust Hillary not to continue the status quo of gradually destroying the middle class. But voting for a troll is a hell of a way to go about it.

      • (Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @07:48PM (5 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @07:48PM (#755304)

        Working out pretty good so far.

        Strong economy means more people can afford to buy their preference, this benefits clean energy
        Reduction of troop levels and military action in Syria, turning what President Obama said was a generational conflict into almost nothing
        Things are going significantly better now with North Korea than they were in 2016
        Europe is increasing its military spending to protect against possible Russian aggression
        Stepped up our presence in the Pacific to protect Taiwan/Philippines/Vietnam/etc from Chinese expansion and annexation
        New trade deal that benefits the United States and Mexico
        You can tell thing aren't looking good for China when they have to run propaganda in US newspapers

        If you check out the local newspapers in Taiwan/Vietnam/Japan/South Korea/Anywhere that isn't the west they are pretty pleased with him.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:50AM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @12:50AM (#755444)

          You forget the best: no oreo in the White House.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @03:03AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @03:03AM (#755490)

            What??!! You're telling me that we're paying for Trump to have special all-white Oreos made for him? Quick call the congressional budget office.

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:01AM (1 child)

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:01AM (#755451)

          Strong economy

          Wonder how far the Dow will tumble down tomorrow.

          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @03:03AM

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @03:03AM (#755491)

            Me to. Where is the "Prophetic" mod?

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @11:12AM

          by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @11:12AM (#755569)

          Holy fuck man. Your seem to have a beautiful summary of Fox News propaganda. Goebbels would be proud.

      • (Score: 5, Interesting) by Freeman on Monday October 29 2018, @07:54PM (1 child)

        by Freeman (732) on Monday October 29 2018, @07:54PM (#755311) Journal

        What the Democrats failed to realize, is how toxic Hillary Clinton has become politically. Yes, she was / is a powerful female politician. I have no doubt, she could do the job, I just don't trust her to do the job. Even less so than Trump. Which is saying a whole lot in and of itself. Sure, there are some people who thought he was a great candidate and she was the devil. What the far right wing and the far left wing fail to understand is this. Both Candidates Sucked. They just each sucked less in their own way. I think the biggest thing Trump had going for him, is that he was fairly new to the political scene. Opposed to Hillary who had decades to poison her own voting pool. Then there was the shenanigans with Sanders.

        --
        Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
        • (Score: 2) by Pav on Wednesday October 31 2018, @05:03AM

          by Pav (114) on Wednesday October 31 2018, @05:03AM (#755931)

          More and more people (language warning) have this take [youtube.com].

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @08:56PM (1 child)

        by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @08:56PM (#755350)

        a little rebellion now and then is a good thing

        • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @11:38PM

          by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @11:38PM (#755425)

          and you must destroy the village country to save it

      • (Score: 1, Flamebait) by c0lo on Monday October 29 2018, @10:15PM (2 children)

        by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 29 2018, @10:15PM (#755380) Journal

        Placing a stupid and hateful troll in the White House is the worst act of national self-hatred I've ever seen

        Would you rate the placing of an intelligent but still hateful troll in the White House as less self-hatred?

        (the question above is hypothetical, any resemblance with reality is purely coincidental)

        --
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
        • (Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Monday October 29 2018, @11:25PM (1 child)

          by bzipitidoo (4388) on Monday October 29 2018, @11:25PM (#755418) Journal

          Do you know the Anna Karenina principle?

          • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:48AM

            by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:48AM (#755467) Journal

            Anna Karenina principle

            Interesting, I didn't know it has a name (otherwise it become obvious if one replaces "happiness" with "absolute optimum"; apart from degenerate cases - many choices with the same result/optimum value - there is a single combination of parameter values for which the absolute optimum is attained, all the other combination are sub-optimal in their own way)

            My point though - the one which the modder seems to have missed in spite of my disclaimer:

            • I found that an active stupid is way more dangerous than a passive one - with the latter, at least the stupidity tends to stay out of one's way.
            • On the same line, I was wondering if an intelligent troll isn't actually more damaging than a stupid one - with the latter, one has a good chance to detect the trolling and adjust her/his behaviour. With an intelligent troll, the trolling may be subtle enough to avoid detection.
            --
            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Tuesday October 30 2018, @02:09PM

        by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday October 30 2018, @02:09PM (#755625) Journal

        Placing a stupid and hateful troll in the White House is the worst act of national self-hatred I've ever seen.

        Compared to putting Clinton in? Electing Trump was a standard protest vote. It's silly to portray that as national self-hatred.

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @09:42PM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 29 2018, @09:42PM (#755364)

    Do we have any epidemiologists in the audience?

    ... eastern China is the source of at least half of the 40,000 tonnes of carbon tetrachloride emissions currently entering the atmosphere each year.

    Carbon tet is a known carcinogen and, I believe a pretty powerful one. It's also a great industrial solvent and cleaner so the temptation to use it is great. https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/substances/toxsubstance.asp?toxid=35 [cdc.gov]

    Would be interesting if the Chinese health authorities have released any data on cancer clusters in their country.

    • (Score: 1, Redundant) by c0lo on Monday October 29 2018, @10:29PM (1 child)

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Monday October 29 2018, @10:29PM (#755385) Journal

      Carbon tet is a known carcinogen and, I believe a pretty powerful one.

      Halogenated Volatile Organic Compounds from the Use of Chlorine-Bleach-Containing Household Products [acs.org]

      Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and many organic chemicals contained in household cleaning products (pure and diluted) were investigated by headspace experiments. Chloroform and carbon tetrachloride were the leading compounds along with several halogenated compounds in the headspace of chlorine bleach products. One of the most surprising results was the presence of carbon tetrachloride (a probable human carcinogen and a powerful greenhouse gas that was banned for household use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration) in very high concentrations (up to 101 mg m−3). By mixing surfactants or soap with NaOCl, it was shown that the formation of carbon tetrachloride and several other halogenated VOCs is possible. In addition to quantitatively determined halogenated VOCs (n = 15), several nitrogen-containing (n = 4), chlorinated (n = 10), oxygenated compounds (n = 22), and hydrocarbons (n = 14) were identified in the headspace of bleach products. Among these, 1,1-dichlorobutane and 2-chloro-2-nitropropane were the most abundant chlorinated VOCs, whereas trichloronitromethane and hexachloroethane were the most frequently detected ones.

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:08AM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:08AM (#755454)

        Yes, very interesting, thanks. I've always been leery of bleach-containing cleaners, do my best to avoid them but the SO is a big fan of sparkling white sinks and toilets. Going forward I'm going to only open such containers outdoors or in well ventilated spaces... and suggest that she do the same.

  • (Score: 2) by linkdude64 on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:14AM (1 child)

    by linkdude64 (5482) on Tuesday October 30 2018, @01:14AM (#755457)

    I was, for suggesting the "RAYCISS" fact that China is a greater environmental issue than plastic straws, and that international manufacturing should be the nearly focus of any environmentalists who consider themselves considered for the entire globe's welfare, rather than simply their immediate environment/virtue signaling. The net benefit to bringing manufacturing back into the United States where a bare minimum (NO we are not perfect, but we are better than China!) of standards can be followed and enforced would be massive for the planet in the long-term. The Chinese don't care about their own people's present-day - why should they care about another country's future?

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @11:23AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 30 2018, @11:23AM (#755571)

      The Chinese don't care about their own people's present-day - why should they care about another country's future?

      You seem to misunderstand. China does care about its own people. They care as long as they don't riot and complain too much. And China does care about other nation's futures too, as long as that future affects China's. That's why the world has invented multilateral agreements.

      But because of fucking idiots in the world, this system can collapse. "Strong man" are these fucking idiots (like Putin, Trump, Erdogan, the idiots in Italy, Orban, Duterte, Xi, etc), yet people vote for fucking idiots. So instead of "hey China, fix your chlorine leaks as per some agreement XYZ or we'll have penalties as in that agreement", we'll have what? "fix it or war??" Kind of like having a nation without laws where all crimes are met with lynch mobs. Sounds fucking awesome.

      and WTF? How did we get to this point with so many fuckers being leaders? Thank you Internet?

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