4 ms·
> Yeah is radioactive but you can build a bed out of it and sleep on it so its not radioactive in any practical sense. Eh, you're technically correct in the se
by vanderZwan 8y ago
> Yeah is radioactive but you can build a bed out of it and sleep on it so its not radioactive in any practical sense.
Eh, you're technically correct in the sense that you can also make a bed out of asbestos and sleep on it and be fine, as long as it doesn't become airborne. Sure, you won't get thorium in your system as quickly but it's still a material that you probably don't want in your household or in the environment in general if you don't need it.
I do agree that in the general sense fears of radioactivity are exaggerated, and even then only selectively: those scanners we installed at all airports in the last decade will also cause more incidences of cancer, but you hardly ever hear anyone about that.
What should be feared more is the mining industry not giving a shit about human health, the environment or, for the lack of a better term, "the commons".
If the waste of the mining industry ends up in the groundwater we do have a big problem. And in practice this is not an "if", it's a "when", or even "how long will it take before they are found out this time and still get away with it".
- bdamm 8y ago> those scanners we installed at all airports in the last decade will also cause more incidences of cancer, but you hardly ever hear anyone about that. Right; because compared to the radiation dose you get during the flight itself, it's nothing.
- basicplus2 8y agoThat is a different form of radiation
- ataturk 8y agoThose scanners made Level3 Systems and other government contractors billions of dollars, so you just pipe down, citizen!
- nickik 8y agoThere are tons of thing in that are unhealthy if the become airbourn. It is like many other forms of rare earth mining. So not having a domestic rare earth industry because of thorium regulation is totally insane.