69
It is amazing how many adults never really made it past their terrible twos. (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/showerthoughts@sh.itjust.works
15 comments fedilink hide all child comments
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 10 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

The dude who first thought to put lead in gasoline is genuinely responsiblw for so much harm. I hate him passionately.

How much easier would my differential equations course be if he never did that? /s

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 15 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    The guy who put lead in it (Thomas Midgley), came up with a few solutions. Ethanol was actually the better additive for the task (stopping engine knock), but General Motors couldn’t patent the use of ethanol so they ended up going with lead.

    Midgley even knew lead poisoning was dangerous and had poisoned himself by accident previously. Much like climate change, the companies didn’t care.

    Blame him for selling it as safe, but the real blame lays with General Motors and capitalism for wanting to make sure only they could profit off of the solution.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 6 child comments
    •
  • [–] 19 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    After working at General Motors he'd go on to bring safe refrigeration to the world by finding a safe replacement for previous refrigerants, ammonia and propane. Decades later, we'd find out that his CFCs were destroying the ozone layer.

    Dude basically had the worst effect on the atmosphere ever brought on by a single person.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •