Scare-Monger Myth of BPA and other Chemicals

Liberal "feel good" lunacy has nowhere cost us as much in the wallet as it has in the area of the regulation of chemicals both for industrial and consumer use. The efficacy of the radical left environmentalists comes from a combination of general ignorance about chemicals, combined with selective use of data to frighten people, and complimented with no appreciation for risk analysis. The myths surrounding Bis-Phenol-A (BPA) are a perfect illustration as discussed here.

Let me discuss my three points one at a time:

1. General ignorance of chemicals: people sadly do not realize that nearly everything they touch, plastics, fingernail polish, food, your computer, cellphone, are basically made of chemicals. Everything, even rocks and dirt are chemicals! We survive just fine. In fact, we are an assembly of chemicals!!!!!!!!

Thus, this silent fear of "chemicals" is totally absurd. Everything including the air we breath are chemicals (oxygen being the combination of two atoms of oxygen).

2. Selective use of data: This is the most powerful weapon of the radical leftist environmentalists and their partners in crime, tort lawyers. To characterize a chemical such as BPA as dangerous is nonsense without asking the following questions; is the danger acute or long term? how do we contact the chemical, by breathing, by absorption through the skin, by ingestion? How much of the chemical do we contact in our normal life?

You see, Arsenic is a deadly poison, but the average person comes into virtually no contact with Arsenic and so the actual danger is nil.

We think of table salt as being harmless, but if you expose yourself to too much table salt, it will kill you. See how this works?

3. Risk analysis: The leftist-environmentalists want you to fear all chemicals! They want government to regulate all chemicals. It is both impossible and foolish. Risk analysis commands that you focus your efforts toward safety on only those risks which are worth worrying about. Don't spend time or money worrying about things that have little or no potential to cause harm.

So, when someone tries to scare you about a chemcial, study the data and do the risk analysis. You will then be able to turn off the static from the radical left.