Asbestos

[Jimsween]

This isn't that hot of a topic but it wont seem to go away. Asbestos is a substance that is fairly fire proof and doesn't conduct heat well and its used to fireproof wires and other plases that are fire prone. This substance however can get lodged in your lungs and cause lung cancer. However it only is spread into the air when it is removed or damaged and only the strait kind gets lodged in your lungs, there is another kind which is curled and rarely does it cause lung cancer. Many places still use asbestos and politicians are considering removing it from all places even though there is usually more asbestos in the air outside than there is inside and removing it would only cause more asbestos to be spread into the air. Whats your opinion on this?

[Jlop985]

I will need to consider all the facts before I can make a valid decision. Do you have any hard statistics?

[JMHX]

Asbestos is a deadly material, and I am all for removing it from buildings, especially schools that haven't been renovated in a few decades, as schools tend to be. Over the years, we have come up with non-cancerous substances that are just as good, if not better, than asbestos fibers. We have evolved as a nation scientifically and environmentally, and there is no room for a cancer causing agent when it can be quickly swapped for a lighter, safer, more reliable substance.

By the way, this was a half-decent topic choice, even if you still are somewhat on the bad side of most of the regulars of the board.

[Jimsween]

some of them?

[mysecondstar]

At 3/11/03 11:06 PM, jimsween wrote: some of them?

don't worry, you don't really bother me too much. sometimes. you're entitled to your opinoins. although some of them are a little...eh

and as for the asbestos, i have to agree with Judge. nicely said. i didn't even have to write nothing ^_^

[mysecondstar]

then again you are pretty young. me thinks once you get a little more schoolin' done, you'll be fine.

[JMHX]

At 3/12/03 03:48 AM, mysecondstar wrote: then again you are pretty young. me thinks once you get a little more schoolin' done, you'll be fine.

It's the crazy Middle-School opinions that bother me. As much as kids like that try to admit they're independent minded, a lot of their views come from a subconscious mixture of family, friends, and teachers. I doubt many 8th graders would stand up in Speech (I don't even think middle schools carry Speech/Composition classes yet) and verbally crucify the war on Iraq. I did that. Wasn't very smart, though, as "free speech" doesn't extend to schools.

[redneckking]

Those fire resistant suits that firemen use are made of asbestos and they have not made anything yet that works as well as asbestos. Asbestos isn't that bad as long as its maintained which all places that have abestos are required to have several inspections a year. I'm not sure on how many times a year. The high school I went to had asbestos insulation on the boiler and never had any problems with it. Many floor tiles contain small amounts of asbestos and its not a big deal. Its only bad when its in dust form and in the air.

[mysecondstar]

At 3/12/03 11:28 AM, redneckking wrote: Its only bad when its in dust form and in the air.

that is the whole worry with asbestos. the second you stir it, it could become hazardous to all that are in the vicinity.

Canada has taken a lot of heat for their asbestos mining as it's one of their major exports. the arguement was that the more asbestos that is mined, the more dependent the whole world would be on it and no one would try to develop a new means of fireproofing.

[JMHX]

Still, asbestos is too harmful to be kept in places where there is any potential that it could be mixed with the air.

[Jimsween]

Like i said before though if removing it werent a problem i'd gladly go for it but when you remove it it becomes mixed in the air.

[mysecondstar]

At 3/12/03 04:26 PM, jimsween wrote: Like i said before though if removing it werent a problem i'd gladly go for it but when you remove it it becomes mixed in the air.

there are methods available to safely remove asbestos without causing it to be airbourne. otherwise, the hundreds of thousands of schools, office buildings, and homes would be more than enough to cause an epidemic of lung cancer.

[Jimsween]

but in order to safely remove it you have to shut down the building for quite some time and some places where asbestos is placed are inaccesible without removing parts of the biulding, i.e. wall, plus you have to pay to install the new stuff when the old stuff wasnt hurting anyone (just yet).

[JMHX]

But you can't honestly think that human lives aren't worth some money and a little repair. To prevent deaths and suffering in the future by taking a portion of your business life away is something we have to do.

[Jimsween]

no, but i think if we only changed asbestos when we needed to we would save alot of money, and like i said before even in buildings with damaged asbestos tehre is more asbestos outside that there is inside.

[JMHX]

Let's just agree that asbestos is an outdated form of fireproofing that has been linked to a handful of different cancers. It's a dangerous substance that was used before the long term effects were known, and its days are over.

[MajinKai]

I say if there is a risk to ruin someones life with lung cancer then we should just use alternate solutions such as the heavy duty intwined wool you can use. Its a bit more expensive but there is absolutly no risk to useing wool over the chance of messing up someone's life with asbestos. What if it was you who brushed by the cut piece of the stage curtain or fire blanket and you got lung cancer? Its unlikely, but why take the risk?

[Jimsween]

i thought wool was flammable

[redneckking]

It is but they treat the wool. Some houses use straw as insulation. It has a high R value. The higher the R value the better insulater it is. They have to treat it with chemicals because straw is really flammable.