It's a funny thing, but most of the sensible people in the world seem to be writers. Maybe it's because writers tend to think about things rather than accept them. Maybe it's just that most people are too busy to read up on the details of things they are told and just accept them. Writers look up details for a living.
Many scientists are sensible, but then science also involves a lot of reading, writing and researching. Far too many scientists are too busy to look outside their own fields, and end up accepting far too much dogma without really thinking about it. And of course, scientists are human, and any group of humans will include some crooks.
Today I read that smoking can cause bacterial meningitis and asthma. These are not mistakes. These are out and out lies. Bacterial meningitis is caused by bacteria. Smoke has been burned and is therefore sterile. You cannot catch any form of infection from it. It is not possible for any real scientist to make that mistake. It is a deliberate lie.
The main causes of asthma (which is increasing, while smoking is in decline) are the day-to-day changes in modern life. We now have fitted carpets rather than wood or flagstone floors. Dust mites love carpets. We also seal our homes against the weather - especially true this last winter. Few of my windows have opened at all over the last months and it's all set to come back again this week. That's if the weathermen are right. I notice they aren't pushing their 'global warming' line quite so hard at the moment.
We used to complain about draughty old houses and we'd huddle around the coal fire in winter but there was a benefit. The draughts, combined with the constant flow of air up the chimney, meant that the whole of the air in the house was changed for fresh air every few hours.
Now we have double glazing and insulation and draughtproofing and radiators. No chimney. In many houses, it would take well over a week to get a complete change of air. Dust mites, trapped dust, vaccuum cleaners blasting fine particles into air that doesn't leave the house for many days, all a recipe for respiratory disease. Smokers are healthier than non-smokers these days. They spend much more time outside.
These things are among the reasons for the rise in asthma and a lot of other diseases. It's all being blamed on smoking simply to push a Puritan world on us all. I'm still Electrosmoking rather than real smoking, but they want to ban that too. The reason? It looks like smoking.
Seriously. That is the reason.
On global warming, smoking, drinking, butter vs. plastic butter-like substance, salt, fat, driving, all sorts of things, those who want controls and bans are the shrill, hysterical ones while those who consider the matters with reasoned arguments are, in one form or another, almost always writers. Most of those who come here are writers and it's about time I started linking to them.
Perhaps writers should be put in charge. They would certainly show much more imagination than the drooling oafs who currently rule us.
I came across another writer today. So, I'll start a 'writers' bloglist in the sidebar.
Well, I can't do much as far as investigation goes. The snow is coming back. So I'll fiddle with the blog and try not to break it.
3 comments:
"In many houses, it would take well over a week to get a complete change of air. Dust mites, trapped dust, vaccuum cleaners blasting fine particles into air that doesn't leave the house for many days, all a recipe for respiratory disease."
Ew! I'm definately throwing open the windows tomorrow morning.
Not only to I agree with Regina, but this all calls to mind 86 year old Pop, who has harped on the subject for years for the benefit of younger ones. Alas, mostly to no avail, as the latter can only think of the money they save by "tightening up" the house. But if one factors in health, maybe the savings aren's so much after all.
Regarding writers, likely its a case of "if you don't use it, you'll lose it" Even in my blog, every post requires a certain amount of research, weighing arguments both for and against a given topic, not to mention the effort needed to choose the right words with the right flavor. It gets you in the habit of thinking.
The trouble is, governments are pushing their green agendas so hard that nobody is allowed the slightest draught anywhere in their houses - because it wastes energy.
Children don't go outside because the news tells parents that the streets are full of knife-wielding maniacs and paedophiles.
Then the kids get asthma and nobody in authority dares tell them why. So they go for 'third hand smoke' in desperation.
The tiniest particle of smoke is now blamed for massive effects. In fact, the tinier the amount, the more deadly the effect is claimed to be.
These people scoff at homeopathy, and yet claim that a trace of smoke will kill them.
They really should get out more. Literally.
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