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1. patapo+(OP)[view] [source] 2023-09-30 16:57:13
> The number of new chemical compounds added into our lives will move to a very slow rate.

Could you elaborate on why this is a problem? It seems to me that there is not inherent right to introduce new chemicals into our lives, and I would prefer this not be done without thorough risk assessment studies.

In the medical industry, introducing a new medicine requires years of testing for something that will be given to a tiny slice of the population. I find it odd that there does not seem to be a similar process for chemicals that could be spread throughout the entire population.

replies(1): >>htag+Qb
2. htag+Qb[view] [source] 2023-09-30 18:04:28
>>patapo+(OP)
I'm not capable of doing a full analysis on this question. I don't mean to say that this ban isn't worth doing, I meant to acknowledge that this has a downside. Let me throw out a few bullet points of those downsides of reducing the rate of new chemical compounds introduced to society.

* We are often creating chemicals that do the job of existing chemicals safer and more efficient. This ban would probably include a grandfather clause for old chemicals, and thus we might be using inferior products and doing more harm than we otherwise could. Look at refrigerants as an example of a chemical compound that has improved over the decades.

* Many chemical compounds introduced in the last 100 years directly improve productivity. The United States is in economic competition with other regions of the world. We could be creating a disadvantage that reduces our geo-political power.

* Many of these chemical compound increase quality of life. There's a strong unitarian argument for sucralose and polyurethane insulation.

replies(1): >>patapo+3P
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3. patapo+3P[view] [source] [discussion] 2023-09-30 22:23:23
>>htag+Qb
Thank you, these are fair points!
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