Real Doom, the return of The Black Death.

[Mich the Tester]

Crystalline silicate is sand.

Sand doesn't sound horrible and scary enough for the greenies though. They'll be banning beaches next. eco loons

I know, but very fine grained and can **** up your lungs quite badly. Thing is, very fine grained sand just flies up into the atmosphere and almost nobody actually breathes damaging amounts of it. You might breathe it if you go outside in a sandstorm, but people who live in sandstorm areas tend to know it's best not to go out in a sandstorm, or they shield their mouths and noses with cloth, as the Touaregs do.

[TheFaQQer]

what crystalline silicate?

Sand

[DodgyAgent]

Sand

as in castles?

[DodgyAgent]

as in castles?

Or the German variety? As in Bunkers ?

[EternalOptimist]

as in castles?

as in castles

[EternalOptimist]

I know, but very fine grained and can **** up your lungs quite badly. Thing is, very fine grained sand just flies up into the atmosphere and almost nobody actually breathes damaging amounts of it. You might breathe it if you go outside in a sandstorm, but people who live in sandstorm areas tend to know it's best not to go out in a sandstorm, or they shield their mouths and noses with cloth, as the Touaregs do.

True. but 1,000 times more people are killed by di-hydrogen-monoxide every year, including innocent babies and old people. Thats something else the Frakkers are using
why are they allowed to use such obviously deadly chemicals ?
it's a crime against Gaia

[Mich the Tester]

True. but 1,000 times more people are killed by di-hydrogen-monoxide every year, including innocent babies and old people.

Good thing I learnt to swim at a very early age.

You'll notice when you go to Africa that Darwinian natural selection is alive and kicking there, and it's a very good thing indeed. They don't need as many 'elf and safety regulations because the stupid people usually die before they're five.

[DodgyAgent]

True. but 1,000 times more people are killed by di-hydrogen-monoxide every year, including innocent babies and old people. Thats something else the Frakkers are using
why are they allowed to use such obviously deadly chemicals ?
it's a crime against Gaia

Presumably in order to get the process past elf and safety they need to prove that any dangerous chemicals are contained. Just as there are many other dangerous chemicals used regularly.

[Mich the Tester]

Presumably in order to get the process past elf and safety they need to prove that any dangerous chemicals are contained. Just as there are many other dangerous chemicals used regularly.

Yes, there are European regulations and UK regulations about this. REACH - Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals - Chemicals - Enterprise and Industry

Britain's one of the better countries in the world when it comes to managing 'hazardous' chemicals like water and sand, as are NL, Germany and the Scandinavians. So to the environmentalists one could argue that fracking in northern Europe where it will be properly controlled might in time lead to a little less oil being extracted from places like the Niger delta, where people get poisoned and see their fields destroyed for the sake of recieving approximately 0% of the benefits.

As with many environmental or so-called 'social justice' matters, much of this amounts to 'NIMBY'.

[MarillionFan]

Ring a ring of roses