People go all ape st over the potential for radioactive waste contamination, but I think its only a matter of time before we cover the planet in something that really messes with higher life forms in a massively negative way. This may have already happened, and we don't even know it.
Its going to be a case of "hey look a new Plasticizer/dye/whatever, is awesome lets use it in all the new $ConsumerProducts", followed by the realization later after we have basically lets it contaminate every cubic inch of water/soil/air that it damages some fundamental aspect of our biology and is the cause of massive cancer rates/birth defects/IQ loss/whatever.
So, the question is, do you think our knowledge of mammal biochemistry is sufficient to have models that can predict every form of possible damage?
Put another way, is endocrine disruption the only pathway to serious long term biological damage?
Do we even know enough to answer those questions accurately?
Its going to be a case of "hey look a new Plasticizer/dye/whatever, is awesome lets use it in all the new $ConsumerProducts", followed by the realization later after we have basically lets it contaminate every cubic inch of water/soil/air that it damages some fundamental aspect of our biology and is the cause of massive cancer rates/birth defects/IQ loss/whatever.
So, the question is, do you think our knowledge of mammal biochemistry is sufficient to have models that can predict every form of possible damage?
Put another way, is endocrine disruption the only pathway to serious long term biological damage?
Do we even know enough to answer those questions accurately?