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Leaded Gas, CFCs, and the Dark Side of Progress (hackaday.com)

Posted by samzenpus on from the more-progress-more-problems dept.

szczys writes: Leaded Gas did a great job of keeping engines from knocking thanks to tetra-ethyl lead. Unfortunately the fumes from the chemical are highly poisonous. R-12 is a refrigerant that revolutionized the cold storage of vaccines. It turned out to be the first of the chlorofluorocarbons which are well known (and now banned) for damaging the environment. Both are the creations of one inventor: Thomas Migley, Jr. Two deadly inventions seem like more than enough for one person, but his story ends with a third. Stricken with Polio, he invented a system to help him get in and out of bed on his own. A tragic accident ended his life when he was caught and strangled by the system he created.

3 of 184 comments (clear)

  1. The wikipedia has the quote by cfalcon · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Wikipedia has the most interesting quote about him in his article:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/....

    ' J. R. McNeill, an environmental historian, opines that Midgley "had more impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in Earth's history." '

    Anyway, it's always been a bit of an unfair slam. Leaded gasoline only became an issue when the car number went from the 7.5 million that were around when TEL was being made, to the over 100 million that were around the time that leaded ramped down in the mid 70s. The miles driven per person were also way lower back then- because most people had to get around without a car, everything was set up for that. If you had it to do all over again, you'd probably STILL use leaded gasoline until about 1955 or so. However, at least everyone knew lead was bad for you back then- not so with Freon's very hard to verify environmental impact, which wasn't understood for a lot longer.

    1. Re:The wikipedia has the quote by TWX · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Lead was only needed because the manufacturers did not want to do the metallurgy needed to make their engines work properly without it. The warning signs were all there right from the start- numerous scientists, laboratory technicians, and refinery workers died or were left with the effects of lead poisoning.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  2. Reagan Crime Wave caused by lead by mdsolar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The evidence is now very strong that leaded gasoline was responsible for much past violent crime. http://www.chicagotribune.com/...