It did emit that nasty VOC smell when I first got it, but I figured I wasn't in the room with it very much. Although so did the mattress pad we bought, which we sleep on. I mean this shit is sort of scary -- even the article admits that every year there are all kinds of new compounds being introduced into our products without much examination. I mean these two things were made in some factory in china under the lowest supervision standards imaginable. The mattress pad didn't even have a tag on it, so I don't even think I could sue a manufacturer if it made me sick. Under the circumstances it's hard to blame people for going a little overboard with the "non-toxic" products.
The main things that annoy me are (1) manufacturers taking advantage of the fears in a situation where there's clearly no added benefit ("organic maple syrup" -- there's no other kind), and (2) people confusing eco-friendly with non-toxic. E.g. organic produce is really not a health issue for the most part -- pesticide is water soluble and washes off of most fruits very easily. The reason "organic" is an issue was originally environmental.
― the prurient pinterest (Hurting 2), Thursday, 15 March 2012 13:58 (twelve years ago) link
It did emit that nasty VOC smell when I first got it
Mmmmm, pthalates.
― drawn to them like a moth toward a spanakopita (Laurel), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:02 (twelve years ago) link
I mean I don't remember so much stuff having that smell when I was a kid. It really does seem like a new and possibly bad thing.
― the prurient pinterest (Hurting 2), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:04 (twelve years ago) link
we are all already sponges for industrial chemicals anyway, there's no escape, fluoride and chemtrails, just use a rubbermaid storage tin as your bassinet and surrender
― i think this is serious (elmo argonaut), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:26 (twelve years ago) link
I pay to have all my new stuff offgassed at a private facility before bringing it into my home
― mh, Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:27 (twelve years ago) link
I actually had this semi-cynical business idea recently to become a green/non-toxic baby products "consultant" -- the idea being that for a not insignificant fee I would actually navigate you through every single baby product purchase you have to make, since the shit it so time-consuming for NYC's overworked professional parents.
― the prurient pinterest (Hurting 2), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:29 (twelve years ago) link
none of yr shopping habits are doing shit for the environment youre alls trapped in a quiddities and agonies of the ruling class thread of your own design
― lag∞n, Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:31 (twelve years ago) link
that's kind of a captain obvious point
― the prurient pinterest (Hurting 2), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:32 (twelve years ago) link
oh im sry mr show curtain consumer reports
― lag∞n, Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:33 (twelve years ago) link
I mean the thing about "organic" is that its origins as a movement were very much tied to other habits like local consumption and reduced overall consumption. It was never meant to be this thing where, like "Oh, I can pay $1 more for the tropicana "organic" orange juice."
― the prurient pinterest (Hurting 2), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:34 (twelve years ago) link
even habits like local consumption and reduced overall consumption are no solution to our environmental problems
― lag∞n, Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:36 (twelve years ago) link
voluntary human extinction now
― mh, Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:37 (twelve years ago) link
onionarticle.jpeg
― Wesley Crusher: Teenage F#ck Machine (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:44 (twelve years ago) link
― lag∞n, Thursday, March 15, 2012 10:36 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Well, ultimately nothing is.
― the prurient pinterest (Hurting 2), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:45 (twelve years ago) link
not really sure what you mean by ultimately but i must disagree
― lag∞n, Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:46 (twelve years ago) link
I mean what the original organic movement had in mind was significant lifestyle changes.
― the prurient pinterest (Hurting 2), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:47 (twelve years ago) link
They would make a difference, if most people really implemented them.
― the prurient pinterest (Hurting 2), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:48 (twelve years ago) link
reduced overall consumption could mean a lot of things... take it far enough and it *might* be something of a solution? I mean except that we've probably passed a tipping point already?
― lou reed scott walker monks niagra (chinavision!), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:48 (twelve years ago) link
I don't think the organic movement had a coherent political philosophy that involved whether or not people should take planes or eat meat or w/e
― iatee, Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:50 (twelve years ago) link
the thing is the majority of the worlds population is just trying to get the the level that rich people consider cutting way back or significant lifestyle changes, like people in india just want a refrigerator
― lag∞n, Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:51 (twelve years ago) link
right. That's why I'm saying that nothing is going to help, because we can't turn the train around. But in theory, yes, significantly reduced consumption would obviously help.
― the prurient pinterest (Hurting 2), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:52 (twelve years ago) link
just weave your own shower curtain on a loom using the organic hemp u grow
― i think this is serious (elmo argonaut), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:52 (twelve years ago) link
reducing overall consumption could involve giving up refrigeration
― lou reed scott walker monks niagra (chinavision!), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:53 (twelve years ago) link
bathe with a natural sponge and homemade lye soap, in a bog
― i think this is serious (elmo argonaut), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:53 (twelve years ago) link
I guess it's just a vague enough term that it seems like it could be a catch-all
don't shower
― i think this is serious (elmo argonaut), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:54 (twelve years ago) link
well significantly reduced consumption besides being the all time so not gonna happen maybe not even be possible because of the way the world is set up to support its 6 billion people, but its not true that nothing will help, the governments of the world just need to make people use diff fuel is all
― lag∞n, Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:55 (twelve years ago) link
stand in the rain and rub yourself with aloe and soap plant, catch the runoff in a handcrafted bucket and sell it as a protein shake
― aka vanilla bean (remy bean), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:56 (twelve years ago) link
and that company became jamba juiceand now you know... the rest of the story
― Wesley Crusher: Teenage F#ck Machine (forksclovetofu), Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:59 (twelve years ago) link
in the united states of new hampshire ice will be shipped down canals from the mountains, huge blocks of it, covered in saw dust, accompanied by men from the Ice Guild, who wear robes and symbolic chains around their necks and chant mournfully in a dialect of english that is only theirs
― max, Thursday, 15 March 2012 15:09 (twelve years ago) link
this is the sort of out of the big box store thinking we need to avoid environmental catastrophe
― lag∞n, Thursday, 15 March 2012 15:12 (twelve years ago) link
― lag∞n, Thursday, 15 March 2012 14:55 (17 minutes ago) Permalink
We don't really have enough "different fuel" capacity in the world to support anywhere near current or projected consumption levels with significantly reduced environmental impact.
― the prurient pinterest (Hurting 2), Thursday, 15 March 2012 15:14 (twelve years ago) link
We've come too far. Let's go out in style.
― Jeff, Thursday, 15 March 2012 15:14 (twelve years ago) link
― the prurient pinterest (Hurting 2), Thursday, March 15, 2012 11:14 AM (49 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
sure we dont right now but its not inconceivable that we could create that capacity if the will was there, like one recent study said that half of all necessary carbon emission reductions could be achieved by just eliminating all carbon subsidies world wide
― lag∞n, Thursday, 15 March 2012 15:18 (twelve years ago) link
nothing is going to help, because we can't turn the train around
won't won't won't
― Literal Facepalms (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 15 March 2012 15:19 (twelve years ago) link
the future is yet to be written people
― lag∞n, Thursday, 15 March 2012 15:20 (twelve years ago) link
I think the more interesting question is whether economic growth even can be decoupled from resource use or if we really would just have to flatline
― iatee, Thursday, 15 March 2012 15:21 (twelve years ago) link
― max, Thursday, March 15, 2012 10:09 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
this is so beautiful
― catbus otm (gbx), Thursday, 15 March 2012 17:24 (twelve years ago) link
agreed
― the prurient pinterest (Hurting 2), Thursday, 15 March 2012 17:24 (twelve years ago) link
so can i sign you guys up for the new hampshire plan
― max, Thursday, 15 March 2012 17:27 (twelve years ago) link
gbx have you found the ice guild in skyrim yet
― goole, Thursday, 15 March 2012 17:34 (twelve years ago) link
sign me up max, do i have to pay for the ice upfront or can i just pledge my firstborn to the ice guild
― i think this is serious (elmo argonaut), Thursday, 15 March 2012 17:43 (twelve years ago) link
max should write a ben marcus novel
― ↖MODERNIST↗ hangups (thomp), Thursday, 15 March 2012 18:18 (twelve years ago) link
ha did that post turn out to be a video game reference smh
― lag∞n, Thursday, 15 March 2012 18:19 (twelve years ago) link
whaaaat how dare u impugn my worldbuilding
― max, Thursday, 15 March 2012 18:24 (twelve years ago) link
how can i learn 2 trust u again now that i know u play pc games abt dragons
― lag∞n, Thursday, 15 March 2012 18:30 (twelve years ago) link
what on earth are u talking about
― max, Thursday, 15 March 2012 18:37 (twelve years ago) link
life, man
― lag∞n, Thursday, 15 March 2012 18:38 (twelve years ago) link
can we go back for a sec and just appreciate the rutger prof's magnum opus, a history of the American baby
― i think this is serious (elmo argonaut), Thursday, 15 March 2012 18:42 (twelve years ago) link
There there, max, GoT Season II will be starting in just a second.
― drawn to them like a moth toward a spanakopita (Laurel), Thursday, 15 March 2012 18:43 (twelve years ago) link