Originally Posted by
wolfchild
It's impossible to avoid pollution in our modern world, unless you lock yourself into some safety bubble and never go anywhere and do anything...
...this is the true part, where you always begin.
Originally Posted by
wolfchild
What about all the daily bike commuters who ride in large cities and are exposed daily to smog and exhaust fumes and all manner of pollutants ?.
...this is where you begin to morph into irrational argument. Of course there are daily bike commuters, who are exposed to varying levels of air quality over the course of a year.
I was one of them, and the place I live in has some significant air quality issues at times. So I've ridden in dirty air in the past. It was out of necessity, not choice.
I also worked here for the fire department, so I understand that in the course of my employment, I was exposed to significant levels of toxic smoke. Again, this was not by choice, but out of necessity. If I could have told the people dialing 911 that we soule be there, as soon as the smoke cleared a little bit, I would happily have done so. Instead, I took measures to protect my lungs as best I could, given the circumstances. Some worked better than others, but there's little question most fire fighters, even the ones who start out in excellent physical condition, eventually suffer some loss of lung function and some possible associated cardiovascular decline that can't be accounted for by simple aging.
Once more, I'm all for your free choice to do whatever the hell you want with your two lungs. I did.
Originally Posted by
wolfchild
I don't hear about thousands of bike commuters dropping dead from pollution, what gives ?
...and, inevitably, here is where we get to the best part in this style of argument. No, you don't hear much about the cumulative damage done, because, indeed, it does not drop people dead in their tracks. Congratulations on yet again, missing the point. Pax vobiscum, sir. I don't need to discuss this with you to know you're mistaken, and it won't benefit either of us, because you are certain in your beliefs.
Other things that do not drop people instantly dead in their tracks, but are still bad for you: excessive radiation exposure, exposure to carcinogens (which vary in toxicity), long term, routine exposure to many pesticides, chronic repetitive stress injuries, various parasitic infections, dietary habits that encourage a variety of systemic illnesses, and arguing with poorly informed individuals on the internet.