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I doubt that amount will help cover removing it from just about all the rainwater on the planet.[0][1] [0] https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c02765 htt

I doubt that amount will help cover removing it from just about all the rainwater on the planet.[0][1] [0] https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c02765 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c02765 [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62391069 https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62391069

rogerkirkness 3y ago
Plz fix all rain.
User23 3y ago
I seriously doubt 3M is the only or even dominant contributor to rainwater pollution. Surely there are big Chinese companies, among others, also producing fluorine compounds. The other polluters should also contribute to cleanup rather than just using this as an excuse to further erode the USA’s industrial base. That said if someone can convincingly show that 3M all by themselves managed to pollute the entire global water supply to a dangerous level I’ll accept it.
- karim79 3y ago
  That's not what I was implying (agreed, my initial comment was a bit short). But they have played a part in this. It seems that corporate social responsibility these days amounts to having to pay trivial fines, then washing their hands clean. I'm a bit mortified that the consequences to 3M for the amount of damage caused amounts to 10.3BN-12.5BN over the course of thirteen years. They should clean up the mess they made themselves - God only knows what that would cost in the end. Edit: Corrected 1.3BN to 10.3
seszett 3y ago
That amount is only got the US though. 3M is paying about 500 million euros for the same kind of PFAS pollution here in Antwerp and although I was thinking that is a ridiculous amount compared to the $10 billion, after all it's more per capita, so maybe it's still a "correct" amount. I think the PFAS pollution topic is just starting being discussed in France as well, so although these fines are probably never going to fix everything, I think they do have the potential to give enough incentive to these polluters... writing that though, honestly who am I fooling? It's going to give them incentive to hide things better and lobby harder next time, and nothing will change until executive get actual prison sentences. I truly believe that the only way large companies can be made to behave is to make their executives actually responsible of their actions, and to give them sentences that affect them personally. The whole limited company system is harmful today.

rogerkirkness 3y ago

Plz fix all rain.

User23 3y ago

I seriously doubt 3M is the only or even dominant contributor to rainwater pollution. Surely there are big Chinese companies, among others, also producing fluorine compounds. The other polluters should also contribute to cleanup rather than just using this as an excuse to further erode the USA’s industrial base. That said if someone can convincingly show that 3M all by themselves managed to pollute the entire global water supply to a dangerous level I’ll accept it.

karim79 3y ago
That's not what I was implying (agreed, my initial comment was a bit short). But they have played a part in this. It seems that corporate social responsibility these days amounts to having to pay trivial fines, then washing their hands clean. I'm a bit mortified that the consequences to 3M for the amount of damage caused amounts to 10.3BN-12.5BN over the course of thirteen years. They should clean up the mess they made themselves - God only knows what that would cost in the end. Edit: Corrected 1.3BN to 10.3

seszett 3y ago

That amount is only got the US though. 3M is paying about 500 million euros for the same kind of PFAS pollution here in Antwerp and although I was thinking that is a ridiculous amount compared to the $10 billion, after all it's more per capita, so maybe it's still a "correct" amount. I think the PFAS pollution topic is just starting being discussed in France as well, so although these fines are probably never going to fix everything, I think they do have the potential to give enough incentive to these polluters... writing that though, honestly who am I fooling? It's going to give them incentive to hide things better and lobby harder next time, and nothing will change until executive get actual prison sentences. I truly believe that the only way large companies can be made to behave is to make their executives actually responsible of their actions, and to give them sentences that affect them personally. The whole limited company system is harmful today.